Always Together
by RK850
Summary: Dewkit and Sunkit are conjoined twins. Raised in Birchclan and trained as medicine cats, they wonder what life would be if they were separate cats. Disaster strikes the clans which leads them to investigate the past and the place of their birth. It's an adventure of a lifetime and not everyone will return.
1. Allegiance Prologue

**Birchclan:**

 _Leader:_ Pheasantstar- Beige tom with ginger and brown torbie patches. Gold eyes.

 _Deputy:_ Fallowstripe- Light brown tabby she-cat with white paws and tail tip. Medium blue eyes.

 _Medicine Cat:_ Thymetail- Grey tom with faint tabby markings on his head and tail. Gold eyes.

 _Medicine Apprentice:_ Reedpaw- Pale brown tom with lighter tabby stripes. Blue-green eyes.

 _Warriors:_

Ashfall- Grey tom with a pale underside and tail. Light blue eyes.

Gingerfoot- White she-cat with ginger patches. Dark green eyes. (Apprentice: Forestpaw)

Cindersky- Blue-grey she-cat with darker stripe down her back and paws. Amber eyes, left one is blinded.

Tawnypool- Red tortoiseshell she-cat with paler belly and paws. Blue eyes.

Yellowstorm- Golden tabby tom. Yellow eyes. (Apprentice: Weaselpaw)

Thistlebird- White she-cat with a feathery tail. Dark blue eyes.

Briarclaw- Black tom with a white muzzle and front paws. Amber eyes.

Foxleap- Red tom with a paler underside. Blue-green eyes. (Apprentice: Squirrelpaw)

Wrenflight- Dark brown tom with dark brown, almost black ears and tail. Gold eyes.

Raccoontail- Grey tom with dark raccoon-like markings. Missing a hind leg. Pale green eyes.

 _Apprentices:_

Squirrelpaw- Pale brown she-cat with white front paws and chest. Light blue eyes.

Weaselpaw- Ginger tom with white paws and tail tip. Dark green eyes.

Forestpaw- Brown tabby tom with dark, almost black stripes. Amber eyes.

 _Queens:_

Rowanwing- Red she-cat with a lighter underside. Gold eyes. (Pregnant with Yellowstorm's kits)

Cloudsky- White she-cat with grey tabby patches. Dark green eyes. (Kits: Starlingkit and Specklekit)

 _Kits:_

Dewkit- Long furred grey tabby tom with a lighter underside. Blue eyes.

Sunkit- Gold she-cat a lighter underside and tabby markings on her head and tail. Blue-green eyes.

Starlingkit- Blue she-cat with white speckled markings. Pale green eyes.

Specklekit- Dark brown tom with light brown speckled markings. Gold eyes.

 _Elders:_

Brushtail- Long furred dark grey tom. Blind green eyes.

Volepelt- Light brown she-cat with darker patches. Light blue eyes. 

**Gorseclan:**

 _Leader:_ Pigeonstar- Pale brown she-cat with blue torbie patches and a lighter underside. Light green eyes.

 _Deputy:_ Riverpelt- Blue-grey tom with light grey points. Blue-amber eyes.

 _Medicine Cat:_ Willowleaf- Dark brown she-cat with light gray paws and tail. Dark green eyes.

 _Medicine Apprentice:_ Batpaw- Dark brown, almost black tom with dark brown underside and tail tip. Pale amber eyes.

 _Warriors:_

Darkfoot- Large, light gray tom with black front paws, back toes, tail and ear tips. Dark green eyes.

Spiderpelt- Pale ginger tabby tom with darker points. Amber eyes.

Troutclaw- Long legged, white she-cat with light brown back stripe. Light green eyes. (Apprentice: Mudpaw)

Mallowheart- Cream she-cat with lighter underside and muzzle. Gold eyes.

Carpfur- Dark tortoiseshell she-cat with small white tabby stripes. Pale blue eyes.

Iceriver- Long furred white tom with light grey paws. Pale blue eyes.

Dewfur- Small grey tom with fluffy fur. Amber eyes. (Apprentice: Minnowpaw)

Goldenfern- Golden she-cat with ginger tabby markings. Pale green eyes.

Quailfeather- Light brown tabby tom with dark paws and chest. Amber eyes.

Lightningleap- Pale gold tom with white paws. Dark green eyes.

 _Apprentices:_

Mudpaw- Brown tabby tom. Gold eyes.

Minnowpaw- Small grey tabby tom with white patches. Blue eyes

 _Queens:_

Whitewind- Long furred white she-cat. Pale blue eyes. (Kits: Softkit, Redkit, Goldkit and Patchkit)

 _Kits:_

Softkit- White she-cat. Pale green eyes.

Redkit- Ginger tom with red points. Green-yellow eyes.

Goldkit- Ginger tabby she-cat. Amber eyes.

Patchkit- White tom with pale ginger patches. Gold eyes.

 _Elders:_

Scaleheart- Brown-grey tabby tom with darker markings. Gold eyes.

Mushroomfur- Long furred, dark brown she-cat. Dark green eyes. 

**Boulderclan:**

 _Leader:_ Shinestar- White she-cat with pale golden tabby patches. Pale blue eyes.

 _Deputy:_ Eagleclaw- Dark blue-grey tom with darker patch on his back and paws. Amber eyes. (Apprentice: Mousepaw)

 _Medicine Cat:_ Berryfur- Pale cream she-cat with white chest and tail tip. Blue eyes.

 _Medicine Apprentice:_ Splashpaw- Beige tom with light brown patches. Dark green eyes.

 _Warriors:_

Stagpelt- Light brown tom with darker points. Amber eyes.

Longfang- Long furred grey tom with tabby markings on legs and tail. Pale blue eyes.

Greystorm- Large grey she-cat with darker stripes and paws. Gold eyes. (Apprentice: Flowerpaw)

Cragfoot- Blue-grey tom with grey paws and underside. Blue eyes.

Mothsong- Golden-brown she-cat with white forepaws. Pale green eyes.

Rushingfall- Grey tom with black stripe down back and paws. Amber eyes.

Dappleleaf- Small brown she-cat with lighter dapple markings. (Apprentice: Stonepaw)

Blacktail- Grey she-cat with white forepaw and black, fluffy tail. Gold eyes.

Bluewing- Blue-grey she-cat with paler underside. Blue-green eyes.

 _Apprentices:_

Mousepaw- Light brown tom with lighter underside. Green eyes.

Flowerpaw- Long furred calico she-cat. Green-yellow eyes.

Stonepaw- Large grey tom with darker patches. Amber eyes.

 _Queens:_

Petalpool- Dark brown tortoiseshell with white underside and toes. Dark amber eyes. (Kit: Vinekit)

Splashpelt- Pale calico she-cat. Dark blue eyes. (Kits: Grousekit and Bramblekit)

 _Kits:_

Vinekit- Light brown tabby tom. Green eyes.

Grousekit- Light brown tortie she-cat. Dark blue eyes.

Bramblekit- Cream tom with dark ginger patches. Amber eyes.

 _Elders:_

Paleface- Grey-brown tabby tom with a white face and hind paw. Blue-green eyes. 

**Thistleclan:**

 _Leader:_ Snowstar- Large white she-cat. Blue and green eyes. (Apprentice: Tinypaw)

 _Deputy:_ Rotwhisker- Black tom with a dark brown underside and white speckled markings. Dark green eyes.

 _Medicine Cat:_ Appledawn- Pale ginger she-cat with lighter underside. Pale blue eyes.

 _Medicine Apprentice:_ Tigerpaw- Dark brown tabby tom with a white forepaw. Amber eyes.

 _Warriors:_

Ferretfoot- Light brown she-cat with lighter underside and darker tabby markings on legs, tail and head. Light green eyes.

Cherrynose- Ginger she-cat with red points. Dark blue eyes. (Apprentice: Mosspaw)

Waspheart- Golden tabby tom with a torn ear. Amber-green eyes.

Fallowfire- Long-furred red tabby she-cat with a lighter underside. Pale blue eyes.

Cloverpelt- Pale grey tom with a white tail. Gold eyes. (Apprentice: Blossompaw)

Honeystep- Golden she-cat with paler paws and chest. Amber eyes.

Speckledbloom- Brown she-cat with darker stripe on back and tail; and white paws, underside and speckled tail. Gold eyes.

Aspentail- Long furred, light brown tom with tabby stripes on head and tail. Blue-green eyes.

Ryefoot- Golden tom with lighter underside. Amber eyes. (Apprentice: Alderpaw)

Smallear- White tom with folded ears. Light blue eyes.

 _Apprentices:_

Alderpaw- Dark brown tabby tom. Dark blue eyes.

Blossompaw- Calico she-cat with dark forepaws. Amber-green eyes.

Tinypaw- Small grey tom with black tail and ear tips. Pale blue eyes.

Mosspaw- Tortoiseshell she-cat. Dark amber eyes.

 _Queens:_

Juniperberry- Tan she-cat with red tabby patches. Blue-green eyes. (Kits: Owlkit, Thunderkit and Goosekit)

Tallsky- Dark grey she-cat with white patches. Gold eyes. (Expecting Waspheart's kits)

 _Kits:_

Owlkit- Dark red tom with lighter underside. Amber eyes.

Thunderkit- Golden tom with darker patches. Pale blue eyes.

Goosekit- Grey she-cat with speckled markings. Dark green eyes.

 _Elders:_

Blizzardtail- Long furred albino she-cat. Purple-blue eyes.

Crookedfoot- Dark grey tom with black ears and forepaws. Blue-amber eyes.

Blackjaw- White tom with black muzzle, ears and tail. Blind blue eyes.

Wolfheart- Dark brown-grey she-cat with darker legs and face. 

* * *

The sky was dark and restless. Thunder growled over the forest like a great beast ready to pounce. She felt a weight in the air, as if her ancestors were judging her actions.

 _'I have to do this,'_ She thought, watching the flashing clouds. _'I just wish I didn't...'_

The kittypet paused as she reached the edge of the Twolegplace, balancing on the wood fence as she gazed out into the forest. It was open, with little undergrowth to be seen. There'd be few places to hide if the wild cats caught her.

She sighed and took the plunge onto the leafy floor below. The pale she-cat trotted on, her pace urgent and swift. In her jaws a bundle of fur hanged loosely.

She recoiled at the strong, foreign scent of the forest cats as she crossed their border. _'I would keep you if I could, my dears,'_ She sighed, _'But if my housefolk see you, they'll...'_

Her twolegs were kind creatures, but they wouldn't understand. _She_ could barely wrap her head around what had happened!

 _'Oh, my poor kits!'_ She wailed silently.

The kittypet crouched beside a large tree, one that stood out amongst the birch wood. It's branches were expansive and it's roots knarled and thick. Gently, she placed the bundle in the dimp between two roots.

"I hope they accept you, my loves." She murmured to them. The two kits mewled and clawed blindly at the thick moss.

A flash of lightning overhead lit the strange and abnormal sight that laid amongst the roots.

The kittens were inseperatable. One was a golden she-kit, her body would be normal if it wasn't for her brother who grew from her like a branch on a tree. He sprouted from her side, his fur grey and tabby. Though he had no hind legs or rump, a long-furred tail grew beside his sisters.

They were conjoined.

Eyes misting with emotion, their mother nuzzled the two. It was clear why she could not keep them. Her eyes perked a conversation reached her eyes.

"We should get back before the storm breaks."  
"Agreed."

"Two toms.." She whispered. She could see the pair in the distance, heading her way. "They'll take you back to their Clan," She turned to nuzzle her children for the last time. "They'll protect you, I promise.."

"Do you smell that?"  
"Smells like a kittypet."  
"I'm gonna investigate."  
"Be quick about it; I don't want to get my paws wet!"

She had to go.

A loud boom of thunder cracked overhead. Her pelt bristled with fright and she turned, sprinting back to the Twolegplace. Behind her, she could hear the terrified mewls of her kits and her heart ached.

 _'I'm so sorry!'_ It took all the willpower she had to ignore her maternal instincts. She longed to scoop her children back up and keep them safe.

With a leap she bounded to the top of the fence again and paused to look back. She could see a pair of toms, one brown and the other grey investigating the kits. She held her breath and watched, ears pricked.

The kittypet breathed a sigh of relief when she saw them gently pick the kits up and head deeper into the forest. They were taking them in!

"Oh thank the ancestors..!" She murmured. Her children would be safe. With a heavy sigh, she turned and went back into the Twolegplace. "Perhaps one day I'll see you again..." She whispered hopefully.


	2. Chapter 1

**[Chapter 1]**

Dawn light filtered softly through the entrance of the den, with it bringing the warmth of Greenleaf. Wrenflight stretched out in his nest. He'd be called for dawn patrol soon enough.

The tom had moved to the nursery since he and Raccoonleaf had discovered kits in the forest. It had taken a long conversation to persuade Pheasantstar to let the toms keep the strange kits, but in the end he agreed, knowing that the mates had wanted kits of their own but were obviously unable to have any.

Wrenflight hadn't needed to move dens, but he wanted to remain close to the odd twins. He lifted his head to stare at Rowanwing nearby. She had agreed to nurse the kits as she had a while to go in her pregnancy yet. In fact, she had moved to the nursery as soon as she found out the news. Her last kitting was harsh and none of the kits survived. He couldn't blame her or Yellowstorm for being paranoid.

His gold gaze fluttered to the kits who laid curled against his flank. The tom, which Raccoonleaf had named Dewkit, laid across his sister's back. His fore paws were kneading at her golden fur.

Wrenflight purred at the sight. Other cats in the clan were not as willing to take the kits in. There had been arguments against it due to their kittypet origin and strange appearance. One cat, Thistlebird, had even protested by saying that they were an omen from Starclan.

Even now he knew his clanmates weren't happy with the decision, and some worried what would become of the kits when they were old enough to be apprenticed. Who would mentor them? And would they even be strong enough to be warriors?

"Could they even be warriors, being how they are?" He murmured, eyes darkening. As if sensing his mood, Sunkit mewled and snuggled further into his thick fur. Wrenflight smiled and nuzzled the small kit.

"Whatever happens, I'll be proud of you two." He purred, settling back into his nest.

He had almost dozed off again when a voice jolted him awake.

"Wrenflight! You're on dawn patrol!" Came the hushed scolding. He looked up to see the scarred face of Cindersky, one of the senior warriors.

"I didn't forget." He replied. The warrior stood up then picked up the kits gently. He found if he held them a certain way, he could grasp both their scruffs.

As quietly as he could, Wrenflight placed the kits at Rowanwing's side then padded out to join Cindersky and her patrol. He bit back the urge to grimace when he spotted Thistlebird on the patrol.

 _'No matter what anyone says, I believe in you two.'_ He promised, glancing back at the Nursery. _'Starclan themselves couldn't rip you from my paws.'_

* * *

"Are they awake?"

"I don't think so."

"Sunkit! Dewkit! Helloo~?"

Dewkit grumbled and shoved his muzzle into the warm flank of Rowanwing, trying to ignore the insistent mewling of Cloudsky's kits.

Ever since the twins had opened their eyes, their denmates wouldn't leave them alone. Asking questions, poking them. Those kits were more bothersome than sparrows to a crow!

"Starlingkit, Specklekit! Leave them alone!" Came the exasperated call of Cloudsky. The siblings grumbled but obeyed.

Peering out from beyond Rowanwing's red flank, he looked over at his denmate's nest. The white she-cat was fussing over the spotted kits again. She seemed to do a lot of that lately.

"She's a lot like Wrenflight, isn't she?"

He startled as a voice murmured right in his ear. He turned to see the golden tabby face of his sister, Sunkit. Silently, he nodded.

"Yeah. Except Wrenflight doesn't try to lick us bald!" He snorted. Dewkit buried his face into his paws again, ready to fall back asleep again. Though the tom was usually shy and quiet, he was not a morning cat.

Much to his disappointment, Sunkit was however.

Heaving herself onto her paws, the golden kit stretched in the morning sunlight. Dewkit lulled off of her side like a large mat of fur. He groaned and made no effort to adjust his position.

"You can't laze around all day, Dewkit!" She poked him with a forepaw. "You're getting heavy, you know!"

With a defeated sigh, he hauled himself up, draping his body across her shoulders. It was then he noticed the strong muscles that rippled under her golden pelt. His sister had grown strong in the past four months. It was expected given she had to carry him everywhere.

He felt a twinge of guilt.

"Hey Sunkit! Dewkit!" Starlingkit called from the entrance of the den. "You coming?"

Sunkit scampered over to their denmates. His claws dug into her pelt lightly and he struggled to keep his balance in his still-sleepy state.

Dewkit narrowed his blue eyes against the bright sunlight. The sun was already high in the sky and cats milled around the camp. He could see the deputy, Fallowstripe, giving out patrols for the day. Ashfall and Gingerfoot were discussing hunting spots by the prey pile, which was oddly low. Had the hunting patrols not returned yet?

"Great Starclan! Did Forestpaw even bother to shake the thorns out before he replaced the moss?" He turned his head to see Volepelt resting outside of the Elder's den, complaining loudly. "I swear that apprentice is blind as a bat!"

At her side was Brushtail who rested his tail on her shoulder. "Come, now. Maybe there is something up with his sight. Perhaps Gingerfoot should get Thymetail to check his eyes." He replied gently.

Dewkit pricked his ears to hear more of the conversation, but Sunkit had already moved on. They made their way towards the Logpile, a small mound of logs and tall grass. Pheasantstar made his speeches from there, though kits would often play amongst the long grass.

"Aw! But _I_ wanted to be Pheasantstar!" Specklekit whined, "Why do I have to be Shinestar?"

"Because I'm the oldest so I get to chose!" Starlingkit replied matter-of-factly, her tail raised high.

Noticing the twin's approach, Specklekit turned to them, whiskers twitching. "How about Sunkit and Dewkit be Pheasantstar? They can be both the leader _and_ the deputy that way!"

Although Starlingkit scowled, she didn't argue. "Fine. Sunkit can be Birchclan, and we'll be Boulderclan!"

 _'We're not playfighting again, are we?'_ Dewkit silently whined. He hated to fight. Much to his disappointment, Sunkit seemed eager to play.

The tom flattened himself against his sister's back, muzzle buried between her wide shoulders. He paid no attention as the game was explained, simply clinging to Sunkit as she threw herself into the "battle".

"We'll get you now, Shinestar!" She yowled, pouncing on Starlingkit.

 _'Why does she try?'_ He watched his sister pummel the larger kit's stomach. _'Doesn't she know we'll never be warriors?'_

Perhaps Sunkit was just ignoring the inevitable. They could never be warriors being the way they were. Sometimes he wondered if they'd ever be made apprentices. What if they just get sent straight to the Elder's den?!

He was knocked out of his thoughts as he was shoved off of Sunkit's back. Specklekit had pounced on them from the side, squishing Dewkit under the golden she-kit.

 _'I can't breathe!'_ The base of his spine ached as it was twisted at an odd angle. He struggled underneath the weight of his sister and denmate.

"Specklekit! Starlingkit! Get off of them!" He was relieved to hear the gruff voice of Raccoonpelt.

The grey tom lifted Sunkit up by her scruff, leaving Dewkit to hang as he got his breath back. His sharp green eyes burned into the two guilty looking kits.

"You should know better than to pin them like that!" He scolded, voice muffled by Sunkit's fur. "There's nothing wrong with playing, but be mindful of Dewkit, alright?"

Gently he placed the twins back on the ground. Dewkit looked up at his father, unable to help the twinge of guilt he felt. He'd ruined the game, hadn't he?

"I'm sorry, Pa." He murmured, ears drooping. "I was doing fine, I promise!" He heard the other sigh.

"Maybe we should play another game..." Specklekit spoke up meekly. "How about we ask the elders to tell us a story?" He turned to his sister hopefully, but she just growled and looked away.

Dewkit spotted her glance at him ruefully and lowered his gaze.

"You're going to be apprentices in a moon." Raccoonleaf turned to the older kits again. "You have to learn to be more mindful of those around you."

"It's not **my** fault that Dewkit isn't a proper cat!" Starlingkit snapped, glaring up at him. "Maybe if he was born properly, we'd be able to play with Sunkit!"

Dewkit felt a pain strike his heart. _'I-It's not my fault that I...'_ He felt his grip on Sunkit's fur loosen.

"If he wasn't so **weird** then everything would be fine!" She ranted on, short fur bushed out.

"Starlingkit what in Starclan are you doing!" He heard Cloudsky exclaim and looked over to see the pale queen trotting over to them.

Dewkit couldn't listen anymore. He didn't want to. Fights had broken out like this before, but never this bad. He could feel his clanmates' eyes on them. Burning into his pelt, judging him.

"Dewkit, your claws!" Sunkit whispered sharply to him. He loosened his grip, but kept his muzzle buried in her thick fur.

Faintly he could hear the soft voice of Thymetail join the conversation, but the words were muddled. His heart was beating in his ears. He breathed in Sunkit's warm scent, trying to calm himself.

 _'Why did Starclan make me this way?'_ He wondered, an image of Silverpelt forming in his mind. _'Did my mother do something wrong?'_ He knew his mother was a kittypet. Wrenflight and Raccoonleaf had been honest with the twins' origin.

"Dewkit.." He felt his sister's breath by his ear. "Are you okay?"

He lifted his head to see her staring at him. They had moved to a sheltered spot in the camp, behind the Logpile.

"Yeah... I'm fine." He lied, attempting a weak smile.

"You don't have to lie to me, you know." She replied, laying down. Dewkit slid off of her back, stretching out in the soft grass. "I'll always be here to listen to you."

He couldn't help but giggle at that. "Where else would you be? It's not like I can escape you!" He joked, tail flicking.

"Well, that's true." She grinned wryly. "But still- you know? We're siblings! We have to look out for each other!"

Dewkit sighed and let his gaze wonder out into the camp. Starlingkit and Specklekit were bothering the Elders for stories and he spotted Forestpaw and Gingerfoot at the Medicine Cat's Den.

"What do you think we'll be when we're apprentices?" He asked softly.

"Hm... Maybe medicine cats?" Sunkit looked over at Reedpaw, the current medicine cat apprentice. "He's almost finished with his apprenticeship."

"But Thymetail is still pretty young. Are medicine cats allowed to have multiple apprentices?" He flattened his ears uncertainly.

"I'm sure Starclan can make exceptions. Rotwhisker is Thistleclan's deputy even though he can't smell anything!" She replied cheerfully.

Sunkit always seemed to be in a good mood. Perhaps it was just a facade, but Dewkit was glad for his sister's optimism. Wrenflight said that hope was the most important thing a cat could have. Without it, they wouldn't be able to survive through all the hardships of life.

Dewkit stretched out in the grass, pawing out at a ladybug lazily. The sunlight dappled down on their pelts through the thick grass and a light breeze ruffled the bushes of the camp wall.

It seemed he could forget all his troubles in this peaceful moment.

"Whatever we become, I'm sure we'll succeed at it." Sunkit purred, gaze on the blue sky above.

"Together?" He wondered, gazing at her.

"Together." She promised, blue-green eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

* * *

"Are you sure you're fine, Dewkit?" Thymetail asked for what seemed to be the hundredth time. He was fussing over the grey kit, making sure he hadn't hurt his back from the rough playfight earlier.

He was always worried about his spine. It was attached in an odd place to his sister's complete body and one wrong movement could end up hurting both of them.

"I'm fine!" He huffed, squirming under the medicine cat's tongue.

He didn't seem convinced, but leaved him be nonetheless.

Dewkit gazed around the large den that made up the Medicine Cat's den. It was located inside of a hallow tree stump. The roof was patched with thick ivy and bramble. Moss grew on the inside of the walls which was useful in the colder moons when new nests were needed for sick cats.

He could see Reedpaw organizing herbs in the corner. The dark pelt of Forestpaw was curled up in the spare nest. So Gingerfoot had gotten his eyes checked out. He wondered if the tom was okay, but Sunkit voiced his worries before he could speak.

"Is Forestpaw alright? He didn't get stung by bees again, did it?" Sunkit asked, amusement in her voice.

Thymetail shook his head. "No. Volepelt was just worried about his eyesight. I checked him out and it seems fine however."

"Maybe he's just featherbrained?" She teased.

A shadow passed over the entrance of the den. Dewkit looked up to see Wrenflight's worried face.

"I heard about what happened. Are they okay?" He trotted over to them, sniffing the kit's soft pelts.

Dewkit huffed and pawed at his father's pale muzzle _. 'Enough worrying! We're kits, not mice!'_ He grumbled silently.

"They're fine," Thymetail reassured him. "Just a little bruising, nothing some rest won't fix. Kits get bumps and bruises all the time."

Dewkit swayed as Sunkit stood up, leaving no time for him to cling to her back. His forepaws barely scraped the floor as he hanged limply and it was then he noticed how tall his sister was getting.

Had he grown at all these past moons?

"Hey, Dad?" She scampered up to Wrenflight, off-balanced by her brother's weight. "When we're apprentices, do you think Pheasantstar will let us got to the Gathering?"

Dewkit suddenly remembered Thistlebird's sneering taunt last night. _'If the other clans find out about you, our reputation will be ruined! They'll think we let in all kinds of monsters!'_

He shook the memory away.

"Of course he will!" Wrenflight explained, shocked at her words. "Why wouldn't he? You're loyal members of the clans, aren't you?" He smiled down at his kits.

His words seemed to convince the golden she-kit and she purred. Dewkit took the moment to climb onto her back and settle back into his usual spot.

"Now, now. Out of my den!" Thymetail spoke up gruffly, waving the kits out with his feathery tail. "I've got things to do and herbs to mix."

Sunkit paid no mind to his strict tone and scampered out, tail raised high in the air. Their father followed behind quickly, ducking under the shooing paw of the medicine cat.

As they made it to the centre of the camp, Dewkit looked out for the grey pelt of Raccoonleaf but didn't spot him amongst the others. "Is Pa out on patrol?" He asked, gazing up at Wrenflight.

The tom nodded. "He's on border patrol near the Twolegplace. Apparently kittypets have been spotted sitting on the fence and Fallowstripe is worried that they'll try crossing the border."

 _'Kittypets?'_ He wondered, peering over the camp wall. _'I wonder if one of them is our mother?'_

Dewkit never felt an urge to join his mother in the Twolegplace, but he couldn't help but wonder what kind of cat she was. Was she kind? Or rough and wild like a rouge?

He was pulled from his thoughts when Starlingkit's scent reached his nose. He felt his pelt itch with dread as he turned to face the blue she-kit.

Her ears were flattened and she shuffled her paws guiltily. At their side, Wrenflight paused and watched the kits, making sure another fight didn't break out.

"I... I-I'm sorry, Dewkit." She mumbled, surprising him. "I didn't mean what I said, I just-" She sighed and stared at him from the corner of her eye. "I was just mad about the game and..."

"It's okay," He breathed, giving her a soft smile. "Just..." He struggled to find the right words.

"Try to think before you think," Wrenflight said, his tail tip on Starlingkit's shoulder. "Or you might say something you'll regret. You can't take back words once you've said them, and not everyone will forgive you." A tone of warning was in his soft voice.

The she-kit nodded then stood up, padding over to Dewkit. "You're not too bad, even if you're a featherbrain!" She teased, headbutting him playfully.

He scoffed and batted at her ear. "Come on! You wanna play mossball?" He suggested.

"Yeah! You two are great as goalies!" She purred, scampering back to where Specklekit was waiting by the Logpile.

Wrenflight watched the three kits go, his tail wrapped around his paws. "Who knew that kits would make you age so quickly?" He joked, shoulders slumping. At his side, Cloudsky sat next to him and chuckled.

"It's not easy being a parent, is it?" She replied, amusement sparkling in her green eyes.

"Not at all, but it has it rewards." He watched as Dewkit reached out to catch the moss ball, flinging it back towards Specklekit.

"You and Raccoonleaf are doing fine though," Cloudsky mused, "And it seems to me like Rowanwing doesn't mind them either."

The red queen was spread out in front of the Nursery, soaking up the sunhigh warmth. Wrenflight shook his head. He was grateful for the queen's help and guidance.

"... Do you think they'll be okay?" He asked softly. A cool wind tugged at his thick fur. "What will the other clans think of them? Not everyone in Birchclan accepts them either." His gold gaze slide to the white shape of Thistlebird who was tearing up a squirrel by the freshkill pile.

"I'm sure they'll be fine." Cloudsky rested her tail tip on his shoulder. "We all worry about our kits when they're young, but they always grow into fine cats."

He remembered that Foxleap was also Cloudsky's son. He was the only kit in her litter, but he was born strong and full of fighting spirit. Though he was a strong-willed tom, he was loyal and brave.

"It's our job to fuss over our children. If we don't who will?" She mused. Wrenflight _mrrowed_ softly. "So, have you spoken to Pheasantstar about their apprenticeship? It's coming up in two moons, you have to make a decision soon."

"They can't stay kits forever..." He sighed _. 'As much as I want them to...'_

Noticing his silence, Cloudsky nodded, understanding. "I'll leave you to your thoughts." She said before padding off to join Rowanwing.

He and Raccoonleaf had already decided to make them medicine cats. They wouldn't fair well in battle and although Sunkit was strong, Dewkit often unbalanced her; they wouldn't make great hunters either.

They had pitched the idea to Pheasantstar and Thymetail, but with Reedpaw's apprenticeship still not completed and the difficulty of juggling three apprentices- even if two were the same cat -presented an issue.

There was also the issue of the other clans. Would they accept cats as strange as these kits? How would they react to meeting them at the Gathering?

 _'Poor Dewkit is sensitive to other's words,'_ He thought, _'I don't know if he could handle so many cats judging him.'_

He knew about judgement and disapproving gazes. It was unusual for cats to chose a mate of the same gender, especially for toms. His own mother disapproved of him in the beginning, but on her death nest she finally accepted him.

Raccoonleaf himself often got curious looks for his missing leg. The scarred stump even scared young kits, though he found that more amusing than anything.

"You'll turn yourself grey worrying like that." A deep voice jolted him out of his thoughts. Wrenflight gazed up to see Pheasantstar. The tom's gold eyes were focused on the kits.

"Oh, Pheasantstar! I've been meaning to speak to you about-"

"About Sunkit and Dewkit, right?" He interrupted him. Wrenflight slowly nodded. "I've spoken to Thymetail and Reedpaw. They've agreed to take on your kits as apprentices."

The brown tom leaped to his paws in shock. "Really? They have?!" He exaimed, heart soaring with hope. "Did they receive a sign from Starclan or a prophecy or-"

Pheasantstar interrupted him with a chuckle, resting a paw on the younger tom's flank. "Not every cat is chosen by Starclan, Wrenflight. They simple agreed out of the kindness of their heart." He replied.

Wrenflight sat back down, pelt hot with embarrassment. "Oh, I see..."

"They wouldn't abandon clanmates after all. Reedpaw will be fully trained by the time the twins are ready for apprenticeship. Then both medicine cats plan to train them." He explained, tail waving gently. "Thymetail believes it'll be a good way to access Reedpaw's skills."

The tom nodded, listening intently. One thing still worried him. "What about the other clans?"

"What about them?" Pheasantstar replied. His tufted ear twitched.

"The Gatherings, I mean. What if they judge the kits or-?"

"Let them judge." He answered smoothly, "No cat can go through life without another judging them or wondering who they are. Let them gossip. Teach your kits to ignore the jeers of their rivals."

"Like water off of a Gorseclan cat's pelt." Wrenflight understood what his leader was getting at.

"Exactly." The larger tom stood up and stretched. " _Mrrow..!_ Well, I must be going. I'll see you later, Wrenflight." He turned and headed towards his mate, Cloudsky.

"O-oh, goodbye!" He called after him with a blink. Birchclan's leader was odd, but in a nice way. He was grateful to have the tom's wisdom in times of need.

"Come on, Specklekit!" His ear swiveled towards the sound of Dewkit's soft mew. "Brushtail is going to tell us all about Crowstar and how he befriended a fox!"

A smile graced his expression as he watched the kits scamper off to the Elders' Den. He felt content. His worries were cleared by Pheasantstar's words, and he had confidence in his kits' abilities.

"Be kind and full of passion." He murmured softly, "Let Starclan guide your pawsteps onto the right path."

* * *

 **[Author's Note]**

Here we are. I went back and edited the Allegiances page as well because I noticed I actually _forgot_ to describe like three of the cats. I had posted that really late at night oops

Also in case anyone is curious as to watch the twins look like, I have drawn them before: fav . me /da4982r (remove spaces)


	3. Chapter 2

**[Chapter 2]**

"All cats old enough to chase birds, meet under the Logpile!"

Pheasantstar's deep yowl echoed across the camp. Dewkit's ears pricked and he turned to watch. He and Sunkit had been eating outside of the Nursery. Above the camp, the full moon shone brightly, bleaching the cats as they huddled around the Logpile.

"I wonder who's goin' to the Gatherin'?" Sunkit mumbled through a mouthful of sparrow.

"Probably Cindersky." He answered. The senior warrior hadn't been to the past Gatherings due to a cough. She had been too tired to perform many tasks. "She's getting old."

Sunkit nodded. She pawed the plucked feathers from her whiskers. "Do you think she plans to retire soon?"

Dewkit simply shrugged in reply. Raccoonleaf always said that Cindersky was too proud to retire. Even when she faced death when her scarred eye got infected, the she-cat continued on and fought for her clan during the war.

He shuddered. The war of the clans broke out after the tyrant leader of Gorseclan, Hollystar, murdered the elders of all the clans- including her own cats. She believed that old cats were useless and their wisdom was nothing more than senile dribble.

After several long seasons of war, she was assassinated at the hands of her own kit.

Dewkit hoped nothing that terrible would happen again. Although they were grouchy, he liked Volepelt and Brushtail.

"... Cindersky, Cloudsky, Tawneypool, Wrenflight, Weaselpaw and Squirrelpaw." He perked his ears to hear the end of the listing.

"There's quite a few cats going." He heard Cloudsky's worried mew. "Isn't Pheasantstar worried about having so few cats in camp?"

"Why would he be?" Forestpaw answered with a flick of his ear. "We're not at war currently and the prey is running well."

She seemed unconvinced by his words. Dewkit knew the she-cat was just looking out for her kits.

"Come on, kits." She swept up Starlingkit and Specklekit with a wave of her tail. "Rowanwing is going to look after you tonight and make sure you go to bed on time."

"Aw! Why isn't Dewkit and Sunkit coming then?" Specklekit whined, sending the conjoined kits a glance.

"Their father is here to look after them." She replied. As if summoned by the mere mention of him, Raccoonleaf limped into view.

"Actually, I have a night patrol tonight. Apparently a raccoon has settled in the Split Oak." He mewed. The grey tom sat next to his kits, tail resting over them.

Cloudsky sighed, her grey shoulders sagging. "Leave it to you to chase off your namesake." She muttered. "Who's going to look after the twins then? Both medicine cats are going to the Gathering."

She gave the tom a pointed look, causing him to shrink under her gaze. In his younger days, Raccoonleaf was known for skipping out on his duties, which was actually the cause for his missing leg.

"I thought Forestpaw could watch them." He stuttered, giving an awkward grin. At the sound of his name, the dark brown apprentice swiveled his head to stare at them, his amber eyes oddly bright in the darkness.

"Oh. Sure," He murmured, "I guess. I don't have anything else to do." His mentor was also going to the Gathering.

"If not, I could always get Thistlebird to-"

"No!" Dewkit exclaimed without realizing it. "We're fine with Forestpaw!"

Raccoonleaf gave him a confused look. Forestpaw shared a glance with Cloudsky. Although neither of the kits' fathers had noticed, Dewkit knew that Cloudsky had caught the white she-cat hissing at the kits once or twice.

Sunkit spoke up, breaking the awkward silence. "I'm fine with Forestpaw. Come on! Let's stay in the apprentices' den for tonight! Nobody else is there!" She chirped, scrambling to her feet.

The grey kit latched onto her back and flattened himself as she scampered across the camp. She left no time for the apprentice to protest. Dewkit heard him sigh and follow the kits.

"Poor Forestpaw." Cloudsky chuckled, watching them go. "I don't understand how you and Wrenflight handle her."

He wasn't able to hear Raccoonleaf's answer. Turning back, he awed at the sight of the apprentice den. This is where they'll be staying in a few moons?!

"Woah! It's huge!" Sunkit voiced his thoughts, her tail waving excitedly behind her. "How many apprentices can you fit in here?"

Forestpaw stepped past them, entering the darkness of the den. "Well, it wasn't always this big." He explained, "The old leader, Alderstar, expanded it after a booming season. There were almost ten apprentices in here at one point!"

"Oh, wow." Dewkit said deadpan, honestly too stunned to think of a better reply. He peered around the wide area.

Half of the den was made of a hedge-like bush which had been clawed back and hallowed out in the seasons. The other half was brambles wrapped around woven sticks, obviously the part that was the expansion. He could see three well-kept nests, each belonging to the warrior apprentices. Off to the side there was an abandoned one.

"Who's nest is that?" He asked, pointing at it with a paw. Forestpaw turned to look at it and his fur bunched awkwardly.

"Oh. That is- was Reedpaw's." The dark apprentice muttered, "He left it here when he decided to become a medicine cat instead."

Dewkit blinked in surprise. Reedpaw had been a warrior apprentice? Why did he change? He was obviously healthy and didn't have any crippling injuries. Raccoonleaf was even missing a leg, but he remained a warrior!

"Why did he become a medicine cat instead?" Sunkit asked before Dewkit could. Why was she always asking the same things? Could she read his mind?

Forestpaw just scoffed in reply, settling into his feather-lined nest. "Just ask him." He muttered, tucking his paws under him.

Clearly the brothers had a strained relationship.

"So... How about you tell us a story?" Dewkit spoke up, trying to break the awkward silence. Forestpaw stared at him for a moment before nodding.

Sunkit padded over to the empty nest and settled down. Her eyes were bright. She always loved stories, constantly listening intently to everyone around her. Everyone except her own brother it seemed.

"Hm... Do you know about Dogfoot? She's my grandmother- Briarclaw's mother." He mewed. The kits shook their heads.

"Then I'll tell you about how she got her name. She was originally called Softfoot, because she had no claws on one paw!" He held out a paw, curling his claws in to make it look like he had none.

"They say it's because she was captured by twolegs, cruel ones that cut off all her claws! But before they could do the other paws, she ran away.

"Now this paw caused her a lot of pain and healing. Though she could hunt, fighting wasn't easy for her. Which was awful as the War was still happening."

Dewkit few Sunkit shudder. She shared her fears. _'Hollystar must have been an_ awful _cat to do such things_!' He thought. Forestpaw continued.

"Now, one day there was a skirmish at the border. Thistleclan cats were trying to take over a stretch of our territory. Apparently Boulderclan had stolen much of their territory," Something in his tone made Dewkit believe that Forestpaw was skeptical about that.

"So they needed more hunting ground, but! In the heat of the battle, a dog burst in and started to chase everyone!" Forestpaw snapped his jaws like a dog, leaning over the cringing twins.

"Paleface and Patchedpaw from Boulderclan were screeching, and the dog had Badgerclaw cornered! The beast stepped closer and closer to her, ready to rip her pelt off!" He breathed heavily, intimidating the panting breath of a large dog. The kits flattened themselves against the dusty moss.

"Then just as it seemed like all hope was lost, in pounced Softfoot! She gripped onto that mutt's face with her claw-less paw and scooped out it's eye with one swipe!"

Sunkit squealed at the image, her paw instinctively covering her eyes. Dewkit watched with an intense interest, ears perked, almost as if he could hear the dog's pained howls.

"With the dog blinded, the other cats joined in. Even Boulderclan warriors helped chase it away!" Forestpaw puffed out his chest broadly, "Were it not for my grandmother, Badgerclaw may have not made it!"

"What's this about my mother?" A voice interrupted them.

The three cats startled at the sudden intrusion and turned to see Ashfall peering in. Amusement twinkled in his blue eyes.

"Oh, uh... Ashfall! I was just telling the twins about Dogfoot and how she got her name-" Forestpaw started, but Dewkit cut in.

"Was it really that scary to be chased by a dog?" He asked, feathery tail waving behind him. "Weren't you scared your mum was gonna die?!"

The grey tom chuckled. Padding over to them, he draped his tail over the twins. "I wasn't born back then," He explained, shaking his head. "My parents weren't even mates yet."

Sunkit scrunched up her nose in thought. "I thought you were old enough-" Her mew cut off to an indignant squeal as Ashfall cuffed her playfully.

"I'm no Cindersky!" He mewed. Forestpaw chuckled from his nest.

"Ma sure has aged these past moons. You'd think she'd be in the Elders' Den already." The apprentice snickered, tail flicking behind him.

 _'Cindersky is Forestpaw and Reedpaw's mother?'_ Dewkit was surprised. Sure the two toms were bound to be a warrior and medicine cat soon, but the blue she-cat seemed too old to have raised kits.

"Hey, Ashfall?" Sunkit looked up at him. "Do we have any grandparents in the clan?"

The older cats shared a glance.

"Well... No, not really." Forestpaw spoke after a moment. "Wrenflight's parents died during the War."

"And Frostheart, Raccoonleaf's, father died as well. His mother- Twilightstream -died of an illness shortly after he was born. He was raised by Volepelt." Ashfall chipped in.

Dewkit's ears perked. Volepelt raised their father? Did she have kits of her own? A mate?

Before he could ask, the warrior turned and left, returning to his guard duty. They were only four moons old, but he realized that he and his sister barely knew anything about their clan mates.

 _'What if we're not accepted fully by the clan because our mother was a kittypet?'_ He wondered, a shiver shaking his pelt. _'And who was our father? Why would our mother abandon us to the clans?'_

Perhaps they'd never find out.

* * *

 **[Author's Note]**

This chapter is a bit short and is mostly filler. Sorry about that. I've been busy lately with other stuff, but I'll make sure the next chapter is back to normal length!

Also I went back and edited the Allegiances again. I redesigned a few of the characters, only in other clans that is and edited some mistakes.

On my profile page there's a link that leads to a folder on my dA which has all official art I've done for this series! So feel free to check it out. Warning tho, there may be spoilers depending on how much you'd read and such.

I've also been working on Family Trees, but I can't post them yet due to them being kinda spoiler-y for future chapters and books.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'm glad you've all been liking it so far! :)


	4. Chapter 3

**[Chapter 3]**

Dewkit could feel a tenseness in the air, like thunder before a storm. A light breeze flowed through the camp, causing shadows to be cast over the kits. Despite the weight in the air, the sky was a clear and peaceful blue. The sun was peaking out behind some stray clouds and he could hear birds in the forest. The day seemed perfect and for his denmates, it was.

Starlingkit and Specklekit were nearby being fussed over by their mother. It was the littermates' time for apprenticeship. Dewkit wondered who their mentors would be. Nearby, Fallowstripe and Thymetail were talking in hushed tones, tenseness in their expression.

His stare switched to Pheasantstar's den. He had not seen the leader today. Was everything okay?

"Everyone seems pretty excited for the ceremony, huh?" Sunkit mewed, ears twitching.

"Excited isn't the word I'd use..." He answered. "But Starlingkit and Specklekit look happy enough!"

"Rowanwing'll be glad to have them out of the den." She chuckled, turning to stare at the red queen. She was seated beside her mate talking about something. Likely their own kits' future.

"I heard Cloudsky isn't planning to return to her duties yet..." A voice muttered from nearby. Dewkit cringed as he recognized it, but turned to see anyway.

Crouching on the Logpile were Thistlebird and Foxleap. Their forms were outlined by the morning sun though they sat in the shadows. They reminded him of buzzards waiting to finish a dying creature off.

"My mother wants to keep Rowanwing company and make sure her pregnancy goes well." Foxleap replied with a flick of his tail.

Dewkit knew the red tom was kind, though not particularly friendly. He had a habit of snapping at others and tended to be sensitive to criticism.

"Are you sure that's all?" Thistlebird scoffed, "What about the other two?"

She was talking about him and Sunkit again. Dewkit flattened himself against the soft grass. _'Ugh... What does she have against us?'_ He thought, fur bristling. _'What have we ever done to her?'_

"They're old enough to look after themselves," Foxleap retorted, "Plus they have their fathers to look after them."

"Come on, Dewkit." Sunkit murmured in his ear, startling him. "Let's go talk to Starlingkit and Specklekit before the ceremony."

Dewkit was grateful for the distraction. He hauled himself up onto his sister's back and settled into his usual spot. The golden she-cat trotted over to their soon-to-be-former denmates, tail held high.

"Hey, Starlingkit!" She called, skidding to a stop. "Are you ready?"

The tom was surprised to see how clean the usually excitable kits were. Starlingkit's fur was smooth and shiny, her posture elegant with her tail over her white paws. Beside her, Specklekit resembled a noble lynx. His spots stood out, shiny and bright among his dark fur. His gold eyes had a mature look to them.

Dewkit felt self-conscious at the sight of them.

"Wow! Cloudsky did a good job cleaning you two up!" Sunkit exclaimed. She circled them, taking in every detail.

"Yeah, I don't see why though," Starlingkit drawled, slumping her shoulders and ruining her posture. "We're just gonna end up covered in leaves and twigs by the end of the day!"

Her mother chuckled and licked down a tuft of fur on the she-kit's head. "You've got to look good for the clan! What if they think I raised rogues?" She gasped at the very thought. A paw covered her chest in a dramatic flare.

"I'm sure Dad will think we're pretty," Specklekit mewed, looking sheepish. He was never much one for attention, let alone the entire clan watching him.

"All cats old enough to chase birds meet under the Logpile!" Speaking of the tortie tom.

"Oh, my. It's time," Cloudsky leaped to her paws. "Come along, kits." She herded the pair towards the fallen timber as clanmates begun to gather.

"Come on! Let's get a spot beside Dad and Pa!" Dewkit announced.

With a nod, Sunkit trotted off to join their fathers. Raccoonleaf yawned widely, earning him a nudge from Wrenflight. The grey tom just shrugged to his mate's irritation.

"I'm old, y'anno?" Dewkit heard him purr as they drew near. "I've seen enough kits become apprentices."

"That's no excuse!" Wrenflight splattered, smacking him lightly with a dark paw.

"Aww, come on~ You know you still love me~" He purred, leaning against the smaller male.

"Well, y-you're right there- I guess!-"

"You ready for the ceremony?" Sunkit mewed innocently, staring up at them. The toms turned to stare at the golden kit awkwardly before straightening up.

"Ah, yes." Wrenflight announced, trying to make himself look presentable but failing. "So... Do they know who their mentors will be?" He asked, turning to stare at the kits.

Dewkit shook his head and opened his jaws to answer, but was interrupted by Pheasantstar's yowl echoing across the camp.

"We are gathered here today to welcome two kits into their apprenticeship." The tortie tom begun, standing proud and noble at the top of the Logpile. At the base were Starlingkit and Specklekit; their mother watching on proudly from the front of the crowd.

"It is a time of hardship and learning, but I believe in these young cats. I, and all the leaders before me, give you our blessing, Starlingkit."

At the sound of her name, the blue she-cat climbed up the Logpile, joining her father. Pheasantstar touched his nose to her forehead, then raised his head to speak again.

"From this day until you earn your title of 'Warrior', you shall be known as Starlingpaw. Tawneypool!" He turned to the red tortoiseshell as she emerged from the crowd, an excited expression upon her face. "This will be your first apprentice, but I have faith in you. Teach Starlingpaw all you know, and I hope that one day she will grow into as fine as a warrior as you."

Leaping down to join her new mentor, Starlingpaw touched noses with Tawneypool. Her white-tipped tail waved excitedly. The two she-cats padded over to join Cloudsky as Specklekit scampered nervously into the centre.

He gazed about at his clanmates with wide eyes, ears flattening out of embarrassment. Dewkit felt a twinge of empathy for his former denmate.

"A fine and quick-witted cat stands before us today," Pheasantstar spoke up again, "Specklekit, I give you my strength and will to survive as you go through out life."

The young tom climbed up the fallen timber swiftly, more sure-footed than his sister. As Pheasantstar touched his son's forehead, Dewkit could see that he was whispering reassurance to him.

"From this day until you earn your title of 'Warrior', you shall be known as Specklepaw. Raccoontail!" Said grey tom froze in his spot, his face a strange mix of shock and honour. Clearly he wasn't expecting this. "You are a brave warrior and have survived through everything life has thrown at you. Even when you lost your leg to a badger and everyone told you to retire, you never gave up! I hope that you pass on your courage to this young cat."

A look of awe was on Specklepaw's face when he approached the tom. Raccoontail smiled gently and touched noses with him. Like Starlingpaw and her mentor, the two toms trotted off to sit at Cloudsky's other side. The white queen was beaming with proud for her kits, as was Pheasantstar.

"I welcome these new apprentices into Birchclan!" Pheasantstar announced as the clan called the kits' new names.

"Starlingpaw! Specklepaw!" Dewkit raised his voice above the crowd, joyful for his former denmates. Although they did fight and often argue over pointless things, he did like the two spotted cats and would miss them.

As the meeting dispersed, the twins ran up to them.

"Are you excited for your first day?" Sunkit mewed. Starlingpaw nodded, jumping from paw to paw excitedly.

"It's gonna be great! I'm gonna see the Split Oak, and the Twolegplace, and-" She was interrupted by Tawneypool slapping her tail over her mouth.

"Out of all the kits, I get the chatterbox, huh?" She sighed playfully, looking over at Raccoonleaf. The tom chuckled, glancing down at Specklepaw who was waiting patiently between his forelegs.

"Better you than me!" He snorted. Tawneypool trotted off towards the camp entrance, Starlingpaw at her heels.

"Well, you kits be good now." Raccoonleaf said, nuzzling the twins.

"We will, Pa!" Sunkit purred, almost seeming _too_ innocent. The tom didn't seem to notice however as he turned to join his fellow mentor. Specklepaw murmured a quick "bye guys" before he ran off to join him.

They watched as the group left, Yellowstorm and Weaselpaw joining them at the last moment. Dewkit sighed longingly, slouching against his sister's back. _'I wonder if Sunkit ever wonders what it'd be like if we were normal?'_ He thought, gazing at the golden kit. _'I suppose she already is normal. She has all her limbs, if only her parasite of a brother didn't exist.'_ He felt resentment growing in his chest. Not towards Sunkit, but himself.

 _'I could never be as strong as a warrior or-'_ His thoughts were silenced by a pair of green eyes watching him from the thorny camp wall. They stared at him brightly, with an intense interest. He could not see the cat they belonged to however. It was as if their body was merged with the shrubs themselves. He was locked in a staring match with this strange feline then, with a friendly blink, they disappeared.

"...ewkit? Dewkit! Hey!" Sunkit suddenly shook him off her back, snapping him out of the trance. He landed on his back with an 'ouf'. She stared at him with an annoyed look. "Forest to Dewkit~" She drawled, "You awake there?"

With a huff, Dewkit stood up and climbed back into his usual spot. "I was just..." He trailed off. He couldn't tell her about the green-eyed cat! "I was just thinking about **our** apprenticeship!" He gave his chest a few embarrassed licks.

Sunkit seemed to forget about her brother's _moment_ and quickly cheered up. "It's only a moon away, huh?" She purred, tail tip twitching impatiently. "I can't wait! We're gonna learn so much about herbs and Starclan and-" She perked up, suddenly remembering something. "Oh, right! It's Reedpaw's medicine cat ceremony tonight too!"

Dewkit startled in surprise. "Really? What about the other medicine cat apprentices?"

From all the time that the twins had spent in the Medicine Den, Dewkit had learnt a lot about the other healers in the other clans. Sunkit was more interested in herbs, but he couldn't really muster up the same excitement for /plants/.

Gorseclan had Willowleaf and her apprentice, Batpaw. Batpaw was only a new apprentice, so it was unlikely he'd be getting his full name tonight.

Boulderclan's healers were Berryfur and Splashpaw. Dewkit knew that Berryfur was getting on in the years, having lived through most of the War, but it was unlikely that Splashpaw would be finished with his apprenticeship just yet.

Thistleclan was looked after by Appledawn and Tigerpaw. The dark tabby tom had become a medicine cat after an unfortunate accident near the end of his warrior training which had left him crippled for life. His hind foot had become twisted and unsteady; although he could still walk, his balance was ruined and he'd be unable to hunt properly. Given the tom's age and how far he'd come since there, it was likely he'd also be given his full name.

"I hope Reedpaw tells us if anyone else gets their name." Sunkit remarked, looking over at the den. Her expression shifted to one of wary. "Forestpaw is there again," She gestured to the dark tom with a forepaw. "Is it about his eyesight again?"

Dewkit sighed and tilted his head in thought. "Thymetail said he's fine, but Gingerfoot keeps insisting that something is wrong." He felt a twinge of worry for the apprentice. They had become good friends in recent moons, and he didn't want anything possibly crippling to happen to him. "His assessment is coming up soon too..."

Hopping to her feet, Sunkit shook out her pelt as if shaking away the negative thoughts. "Well we can't just sit here worrying!" She announced, tail high. "Let's go visit the Elders!" Dewkit groaned, but did not protest. It _had_ been a while since they'd seen Volepelt and Brushtail.

As they trotted over to the Elders' Den, they passed by Cindersky and Ashfall who were sharing tongues. Dewkit caught snippets of their conversation.

"Kits? That's exciting," The old she-cat murmured, "I'm sure you and Gingerfoot are proud. Are you planning to announce it anytime soon?"

Ashfall shook his head. "Not quite yet. Forestpaw's apprenticeship is ending soon, but we don't want to make it look like we're ending his training sooner than needed due to the pregnancy." He replied smoothly.

"Hm.. I heard Cloudsky is staying in the nursery to make sure Rowanwing's pregnancy goes smoothly. She and Yellowstorm were heartbroken when their litter was stillborn."

Dewkit turned his ears to catch more of the conversation, but they had already moved too far away. As they entered the sheltered den, he heard Brushtail putting on a "big and brash" voice. _'_ _ **Another**_ _story?'_ Don't elders ever get bored of telling tales all the time?

"And then with one great _YOWL_ Fallen Birch pounced on Drifting Boulder! He gave her a real fright, only to receive on in return when she saw she had four ears!" He chortled, a paw covering his muzzle.

Squirrelpaw stared at him in great disbelief. "... Are you _sure_ that you're telling it right?" She started slowly, "I mean, what cat has four ears?"

Brushtail huffed at the implication and pawed a dry ball of moss at her. "I'm not going senile if that's what you're thinking, young one!" The apprentice grumbled and scooped up the ball along with a larger pile of moss. It must be her turn to clean out the Elders' Den. "Oh, young kits. Are you here for a story?" He purred, noticing the pairs' scent.

"Yep!" Sunkit nodded. She trotted over to sit between him and Volepelt, who was dozing in a patch of sunlight that shone from the entrance.

"Ah. Well, I was just telling Squirrelpaw about the time Birchstar and Boulderstar first met. Despite being clan founders, those two were smitten with one another!" He purred, giving a wry grin. "In fact, they probably would have stayed mates if Frosted Boulder, Boulderstar's father, hadn't died before the Warrior code was fully implemented. She had to become the leader and leave poor Birchstar alone."

"Did Birchstar ever find another mate?" Sunkit wondered out loud, staring up at the elder.

"No... But he did have kits," Brushtail purred in amusement, "You see, before Boulderstar and Birchstar left one another, Boulderstar became pregnant with his kits. They were born in Boulderclan, but two of them were sent to live with their father."

 _'The clans are a lot more mixed blood than anyone wants to admit.'_ Dewkit thought, staring at his dark paws. _'Kittypets, mixed clan blood, rogue-fathered kits. I guess without outside blood, we'd end up weak and spiritless.'_

"Those two kits had descendants, yes." The elder spoke up again, "But one of their bloodlines ended with Hollystar." Sunkit's hackles bristled at the mention of the murderous calico's name.

"Did she kill them?" She whispered, glancing around as if the ghost of the she-cat was watching them. Brushtail shook his head and went to speak, but was interrupted by Volepelt's hoarse voice.

"She was the descendant." She cut in, staring mysteriously out the entrance. "Both of her kits died before passing on their blood, and her mate did not carry any Boulderclan blood."

 _'Hollystar's mate...'_ What kind of cat would be awful enough to love the massacre crazy Hollystar? _'Was he awful and cruel? Or was he forced to be her mate so that she cold have heirs?'_ Dewkit had no answer for his questions, but one thing was for sure; he didn't want to meet a cat like that.

Crickets chirped quietly outside the camp. Shadows were cast across the grass, constantly shifting and changing as a cool breeze rustled the trees. A few leaves drifted down, only to be crunched by a cat retiring to their den. Dewkit watched as a pale green butterfly fluttered overhead, landing on one of his tufted ears before flying off into the starry sky.

Sunkit had already fallen asleep, leaving Dewkit to his boredom. Out of all the times it sucked to be conjoined, now was one of the worse. The half moon had risen high into the sky and as he watched it, he knew that Starclan would be blessing Reedpaw and Tigerpaw's full names tonight. He sighed, longing to be able to lie under the sky and watch as Starclan warriors raced across the night.

His blue gaze drifted to one of the few cats still awake. Briarclaw was talking to his son, Forestpaw. The words were inaudible, but he could tell they were worried. Forestpaw's gaze kept flicking to the sky above, but when Dewkit went to look, it took him a moment to spot the flock of bats moving overhead.

He turned to stare at the current guard, Thistlebird. Her pale pelt and grey patches made her seem like a ghost who had lost it's way to Starclan- or the Dark Forest. Her dark blue eyes were sharp and focused as she kept watch. However, for some reason Dewkit didn't feel totally safe with the she-cat on guard.

The grey tom perked up when she saw that she had spotted something, and one moment later, Reedpaw and Thymetail passed her. Thymetail looked exhausted, but Reedpaw had a spring in his step as he padded into camp. Spotting the kit, he quietly trotted over to Dewkit, crouching in front of him.

"Hey, you're awake!" He purred, earning a "shush!" from Cloudsky. "Sorry..!" His tone grew more hushed. "I saw Starclan and got my new name! I'm Reedwhisper now!"

"If only your name was fitting!" Dewkit teased quietly, earning him a bop on the head. "What about Tigerpaw? Did he get his name?"

The pale tom nodded. "Yep! He's Tigermist now." Reedwhisper snorted and stood back up.

"Get some sleep, kit." He uttered before leaving.

Dewkit huffed and flopped against the feathers of his and Sunkit's nest. He wanted to stay up, but a yawn was threatening to escape. Stretching out his forepaws, he kneaded against the soft bedding. As he closed his eyes, he spotted the blurry figure of a familiar green-eyed cat watching from the den entrance; and softly, a deep purring reached his ears.

 _'Who...?'_ He drifted off to sleep before he could finish his thought.

* * *

 **[Author's Notes]**

Well here y'all go. I had to force myself to stop procrastinating and finish this chapter, but I got it done!

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and favourited the story so far. Your continued support keeps my motivation going.

I'm also planning to replace the cover with a proper one eventually, but I'm unsure of when that'll be exactly. Hopefully by the next chapter update.

Fat Bottemed Girl  
Conjoined twins are usually born when a fertilized egg fails to seperate properly, but it can also be caused by chemicals in the mother's system or if something happened during the pregnancy. There is a reason for Dewkit and Sunkit being conjoined, but that'll be revealed in a later chapter.


	5. Chapter 4

**[Chapter 4]**

"Stop wriggling, Sunkit!" Wrenflight huffed, amused. He held down the golden kit with a forepaw. "You're not clean yet!"

"I'm clean enough! Come _oon_ , Dad!" She whined, batting her tail at him.

It was early morning. A cool breeze was in the air, bringing promise of Leaf-fall which was just around the corner. The sky was cloudy, but the sun shone brightly in the misty blue sky. After many moons of waiting, it was time for Sunkit and Dewkit to become apprentices.

Whilst Sunkit was trying to avoid the rough tone of Wrenflight, Dewkit found himself enjoying the attention and grooming. For once he was standing on his own two legs, stretching out his paws as he cleaned his chest.

"I don't see the point in getting clean just to get all messy again!" Sunkit mewed. She tried to appear angry at her fathers, but she looked rather comical with a tuft of wild fur sticking up on her head. Raccoonleaf stepped forwards and flattened the tuft.

"It's important that you look neat and tidy for the clan. This is a very important day in your lives', you know." He purred, resting his tail tip on her shoulder. Sunkit just groaned, but stayed still for the remainder of the grooming.

"Are you excited, Dewkit?" Wrenflight asked the tom-kit. He nodded, tail waving beside Sunkit's.

"Do you think I'll be a good medicine cat?" He wondered. The brown tom let out a _mrrow_ of amusement.

"I'm sure you'll be a great one!" He pulled Dewkit close with a paw; the young kit giggled.

He breathed in the soft scent of the tom. He'd miss sleeping next to their fathers. And sharing a den with Rowanwing, but at least the queen wouldn't be lonely with Cloudsky staying in the Nursery to look after her. Plus, it looked like Gingerfoot was due for the den soon. Forestpaw had passed his assignment, but they delayed the ceremony due to worries about his sight. Luckily the dark tabby hadn't been angry or bitter about it.

"All cats old enough to chase birds meet under the Logpile for a clan meeting!" Pheasantstar yowled from his spot on top of the logs.

"Come on, my kits!" Wrenflight leaped to paws, seemingly more excited than the kits themselves. There was pride in his clear gold eyes.

Raccoonleaf lifted up Dewkit by the scruff and placed him on Sunkit's back in order to preserve their cleanliness. Many cats had already gathered at the base of the fallen timber and out of the corner of his eyes, Dewkit noticed the hunting patrol hastily dropping off their prey before joining the crowd. The round form of Rowanwing was seated next to her mate and Cloudsky. She too was proud for the kits, as she had nursed them since they arrived.

"Go Sunkit and Dewkit!" Starlingpaw cheered from the crowd. Tawneypool shushed her, but the apprentice took no notice. From beside the she-cats, Dewpaw spotted Specklepaw waving his tail at them. He smiled at the spotted tom.

The conjoined twins sat in the centre of the meeting hollow, their fathers watching on from behind them. They gazed up at Pheasantstar. At the base of the Logpile, Thymetail and Reedwhisper were waiting.

"This is a very special moment in these young cats' lives." Pheasantstar started, "Although you came from the forest, abandoned and alone. We took you in and raised you these many moons. I am proud to call you Birchclan cats."

Dewkit's chest pounded with emotion. His blue eyes shined as he watched his leader continue.

"We are gathered here today to welcome these kits into their apprenticeship. It is a time of hardship and learning, but I believe in these young cats. I, and all the leaders before me, give you our blessing, Sunkit and Dewkit." He waved over Thymetail to join him on the Logpile. "You have been chosen for a unique role in the clan. As medicine cats, we trust and honour you to heal the clan and give us guidance from Starclan themselves." Pheasantstar nodded to the twins, signalling them to join him as well.

Despite Dewkit's weight on her back, Sunkit scrambled up the logs without much effort. The tortie tom touched his nose to each of the cats' foreheads.

"From this day forward until you earn your title of 'Medicine Cat', you shall be known as Sunpaw and Dewpaw." He stepped back to allow Thymetail come forward. "I trust Thymetail to groom you into fine young healers, as he did before with Reedwhisper." As the medicine cat touched his pale nose to the kits', a cheer rose from the crowd.

"Sunpaw! Dewpaw! Sunpaw! Dewpaw!" The apprentices mewed loudly, Starlingkit the loudest of all. The strained voice of Volepelt joined in and Dewpaw could spot the old she-cat staring up at them with a smile. Soon the entire clan was calling their name, although Thistlebird remained oddly silent.

Dewpaw narrowed his gaze at her. She didn't look angry or bitter, more like... _'Regret?..'_ He wondered. The new apprentice was pulled from his thoughts by Pheasantstar stepping forward again to dismiss the meeting.

"Come on, We have a busy day ahead of us." Thymetail purred, hopping down the fallen timber. Sunpaw soon joined him at the bottom, a sigh of relief escaping her.

"Do you know how hard it is to carry you and climb, Dewpaw?" She mewed.

"How about I drag you around next time then!" He joked, earning a _mrrow_ of laughter from Reedwhisper.

"I wish I could join you, but I've got to check on the injuries from yesterday's border skirmish." The pale tabby said, waving his tail at the Medicine Cats' Den. Fallowstripe, Foxleap and Squirrelpaw were milling outside of it. Each with patches of cobweb on various wounds. None of the said injuries looked too serious, though Squirrelpaw now sported a large V in her ear.

"I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to show off your skills, Reedwhisper." Thymetail proclaimed. He shooed his former apprentice off with a wave of his tail. Turning away, he padded over to the entrance of the camp. Sunpaw swiftly followed after him.

The medicine cat wasted no time going through the holly tunnel. Red berries gleamed above their heads, almost seeming to guide the cats through the darkness. Through gaps in the branches, Dewpaw caught glimpses of the forest beyond.

There was a burst of sunlight then they were out. Dewpaw's jaw dropped at the sight.

"It's gorgeous..." Sunpaw gasped in awe, her green eyes wide.

Birch and sorrel trees stretched on as far as he could see. Their leaves a mixture of green and yellow; a few red leaves were starting to show on the birch trees however. Smooth grass and the occasional cluster of undergrowth made up the forest floor. The chattering song of lapwings reached Dewpaw's ears and he noticed a russet-furred squirrel leaping in the trees above.

"This is _our_ territory?" Dewpaw murmured after a moment. "And we get to explore it all today?"

Thymetail purred, amused with the young cats' awe. "We'll be seeing the borders and landmarks together. I think the _whole_ territory might be a bit much for your first day."

He gathered the cats with a wave of his tail and moved on through the trees. Dewpaw took note of everything he saw. The clear stream they passed which was rich with minnows, a rotten stump that was covered with mushrooms. An abandoned magpie nest which was sagging out of the branches of an old sycamore.

After a while of travelling, Thymetail came to a stop at the edge of a shallow but wide stream. Rich, foreign scents drifted over the water.

"This is the Gorseclan border." He explained, "Gorseclan's territory is made up of a mix of marshland and moor. Their camp is on an island surrounded by water."

Sunpaw shuddered. "They _like_ to swim?" She grimaced. Thymetail nodded.

"Indeed. Speaking of such, I think someone else is having their first day out." His ears perked, a splash echoing from nearby. Dewpaw spotted the other cats before either his mentor or sister.

"Come on, Softpaw!" A tortoiseshell warrior called to an apprentice; a small white she-cat. "It's just water!" She sounded both amused and annoyed.

"Hey, look!" A ginger apprentice yowled, her gaze on the medicine cats. "Birchclan cats!" She sprinted over to the border, startling Sunpaw who bushed out her fur threateningly.

Thymetail rested his tail tip on her shoulder. "It's okay. It might be good to meet fellow apprentices." He reassured.

The ginger she-cat was soon joined by the rest of the patrol. A large, grey tom cuffed her over the ear. Clearly her mentor.

"Greetings!" The tortie from earlier called, waving her feathery tail. "You're Thymetail, the medicine cat, right?"

Thymetail nodded. "Indeed. I'm showing my new apprentices around." He bowed his head to Sunpaw and Dewpaw. The grey tom shrunk under the scrutinizing gaze of the warriors. They seemed more curious than anything.

"You're funny lookin'." The ginger apprentice mewed, earning another cuff from her mentor. "Stop that! I'm not wrong, am I?"

A small red tom padded out into the stream, looking over the conjoined twins in confusion. "Where are your hind legs?" He questioned Dewpaw, flattening his dark ears.

Dewpaw stared awkwardly back at him, glancing over at Thymetail, urging him to explain. Thankfully, it was one of the Gorseclan warriors who interrupted.

"My name's Carpfur and this is my apprentice, Redpaw." The tabby-striped tortie introduced, a friendly tone to her voice. The ginger 'paw and her mentor then stepped forwards.

"I'm Darkfoot and this misbehaving she-cat is Goldpaw." The large warrior sent a scolding glare to said apprentice who just stuck her tongue at him in reply.

"I-I'm Softpaw." The white apprentice from before spoke up, standing beside a long-furred white tom. "A-And my mentor i-is Iceriver." Iceriver nodded his head cooly to Thymetail.

"Name's Patchpaw!" The last apprentice splashed forward into the stream, tail held high. "And-"

" _And_ I'm his mentor, Mallowheart." A cream she-cat stepped forwards. She held a look of elegance and nobility. In her calm presence, Dewpaw almost felt as though he was staring at a clan leader rather than a normal warrior. "You should learn to be more patient, Patchpaw. If you go running into borders like that, you'll get your ears clawed off." She reprimanded the gold-patched cat.

"I'm guessing you're also new apprentices." Sunpaw spoke up, "My brother and I just became medicine apprentices today!"

Patchpaw perked up again. "Yeah! We had our ceremony today to! Redpaw fell off of the Hightree!" He snickered. The ginger she-cat let out a squeal of indignant.

"I-I did not!" She yowled, splashing the tom with a swipe of her forepaw.

Patchpaw giggled and sprinted off back up Gorseclan's side of the bank. "You did so! Mum gasped so loudly I think Boulderclan heard!" He teased, hiding behind Softpaw.

Carpfur let out a _mrrow_ of amusement. "Come on, now. Let's not keep Thymetail and his apprentices waiting. We have more of our territory to check out as well." The warriors gathered up their 'paws, padding back towards Gorseclan territory. "I'll see you at the Gathering, 'paws!" She called back to the twins.

Dewpaw liked the tortie. She was friendly and had a sense of humour. She reminded him of Rowanwing. Sunpaw waved them goodbye then turned to Thymetail.

"Right. Let's go!" He announced, trotting off at a quick pace. The twins followed him eagerly. What else would they see today? Would they meet any other clan cats?

* * *

After a moment's travel, they ended up at a large hollow surrounded by ancient, gnarled pine trees. In the centre was the large trunk of one. It had been cut in half by twolegs, a few of the lower branches remained and the roots were still growing strong. A stream flowed through the empty space, weaving through the flattened, scent-rich grass.

"This is the Moon Hollow. It's where we hold the Gatherings." He explained, sticking to the outside of the hollow. "It's called the Moon Hollow because if you look down at it from up high, the stream cuts through in a way that makes it look like a claw moon."

A cold breeze bustled through, bringing the stale scent of many, many cats to his nose. He could smell Gorseclan and Birchclan scents, as well as some he couldn't recognize. _'Something like rocks and... the cold? And cats that smell like a forest.'_ He sneezed, covering his muzzle with a paw.

"It's a bit overwhelming, huh?" He said, sitting beside the twins. "Don't worry, you'll get to see it properly when you go to the Gathering." His ear twitched as the sound of a startled grouse echoed. He raised his head towards the distant grey sight that was the mountains. "Look. Can you see them?"

The apprentices squinted their eyes, scanning the many rocks and tufts of grass that made up the Boulderclan border. Sunpaw spotted them first.

"Boulderclan cats!" She announced, jumping to her paws.

"They're too far to see us, plus, it looks like they're busy." He mewed. Indeed, there was a golden-brown cat and a grey one. The grey warrior had a small female pheasant in his jaws and he could see that the golden-brown one seemed to be congratulating him. It wasn't long before both warriors moved on out of sight.

"We have two more places to go today. So let's move on." Thymetail spoke up after a moment. Sunpaw sighed and stood up. Dewpaw could tell that his sister was getting tired. This was the most they've ever traveled and Sunpaw had to deal with the added weight of carrying him around. Once again, he felt a twinge of guilt for his own existence.

As they padded on through the forest, Dewpaw struck up a conversation. "So... Where are we going now?" He asked Thymetail, tilting his head.

"We're going to see the Twolegplace border," The mentor explained. "There's also the Thistleclan border and Split Oak, but those can wait another day."

 _'The Twolegplace...'_ Dewpaw's hackles bristled slightly. _'Our place of birth...'_ Would they see their mother there? Their father? Maybe even a sibling- if they had any that is. The tom shook his head. This wasn't the time to get ahead of himself. It was unlikely they'd see anyone at the border, let alone a kittypet.

"Put more power behind your tackle, Weaselpaw!" Yellowstorm's yowl cut through his thoughts. The group paused beside the training hollow, a mossy area where apprentices would learn new fighting and stalking skills. Yellowstorm and Gingerfoot were laying on top of a flat boulder, looking rather content as they sunbathed. Their apprentices however were covered in scraps of moss as they wrestled in the hollow.

"I'm trying!" The ginger tom snapped back, leaping at Forestpaw who easily took the hit. "It's not fair! He's basically a warrior!"

"You'll have to fight full-grown warriors one day, Weaselpaw." Gingerfoot answered him, rolling onto her back lazily. Thymetail let out a snort of amusement.

"Nothing like a warm rock to make mentors forget their duty." He remarked with a shake of his head. He waved his tail in greeting to the two warriors, then turned to continue their journey. As they left, Dewpaw felt a familiar thought creep up on him.

 _'I wonder what it would be like to be complete. To have a full body...'_ He thought regretfully, a tight feeling gripping his chest _. 'I could wrestle and play all I'd like. I'd be able to be a warrior!'_ He glanced at Sunpaw, peering at her through her ears. _'I wouldn't be such a burden on Sunpaw either...'_ His eyes misted with emotion. _'If only-'_

His mind went blank at the sight of a cat in front of them. A transparent, green-eyed cat. "You...!" He whispered sharply, earning him a confused look from Sunpaw. The green-eyed cat squinted, amusement in their gaze. More of their body face was visible, but the most striking thing about them was a large scar that ran from the top of their muzzle down to their jaw. Despite the thin scar, it did not take away from the cats' handsome looks.

 _'Who_ _ **are**_ _you?'_ Dewpaw thought, staring intently at the cat. The green-eyed ghost merely flicked their fluffy tail and moved on, trotting through the trees as if they weren't there. _'Will I ever find out...?'_

"What is _that!_ " Sunpaw's exclamation interrupted his thoughts. The patrol had paused at the sight of a large, wooden fence. Twoleg dens peaked out from behind the pale fence and Dewpaw could hear the distant sound of a monster passing by.

"This is the Twolegplace," Thymetail padded over to the base of the fence, sniffing at the long grass there. "It's the border between Birchclan and the territory of the Twolegplace cats."

"Twolegplace cats? Kittypets?" Dewpaw asked, perking his tufted ears.

"There's more than just house cats in the town, boy." A gruff voice answered from above. Sunpaw startled, stepping back from the fence to gaze up. Sitting on the top casually was an old, ginger tom. He gazed at them with bored gold eyes. A blue collar hung around his neck, a metal capsule hanged from it at his white throat.

"Jinja!" Thymetail greeted the kittypet like an old friend. "I haven't seen you since last Leaf-fall! I was worried you may have died."

Jinga let out a bark of laughter, giving him a wry grin. "I'm not that old, Thymetail." He purred before turning to nod at the twins. "So who are these youngin's?

Sunpaw padded forward nervously, staring up at the old cat with caution. "I'm Sunpaw, and this is my brother, Dewpaw. We're Thymetail apprentices." She answered, "And who are you?"

"Name's Jinja. They call me the old man of the kittypets." He flicked his tail, "No idea why." Dewpaw had to agree with him on that. He looked more like a senior warrior than an elder. The kittypet turned back to Thymetail. "Did ya hear yet? Old Vash died a moon ago."

"Oh no!" The medicine cat's eyes widened. "What happened?"

"Hit by a monster sadly." He answered with a shake of his head. "The worse part is you got two toms tearing up the streets, both trying to become the new Colony leader."

"What's a _colony_?" Dewpaw asked, his interest piqued.

"It's like a clan of loners and kittypets that live in the Twolegplace." Thymetail explained. "When the old leader dies or retires, a new one is chosen by the colony members. They're chosen based on strength and leadership skills. The Colony is an important part of Clan History, you know?"

"Really?" Sunpaw gasped, ears perking.

"Mhm," The mentor confirmed. "During the War, cats from the Colony helped feed the clans and they fought with us during the last great battle."

"One of my housemates died during that dreadful war." Jinja moaned, bowing his head sadly. "Buddy was only a young cat. Shy, but full of bravery and life. He will be missed."

Thymetail sighed, but soon perked up again. "I'll leave you to your sunbathing, old tom." He said the nickname teasingly, earning him a playful glare from Jinja. "We've got to get back to the clan."

"-Hey wait there a moment, girl." The ginger tom crouched to stare down at Sunpaw. She blinked in confusion and gazed back at him. The kittypet tilted his head. "Y'anno... You look like someone I know..." He mewed slowly, "Can't quite put my paw on who though..."

"I'm sure there's plenty of golden cats in the Twolegplace." She answered, still confused. "Well... Goodbye?" She padded after Thymetail, leaving the old tom to stare after her and Dewpaw.

* * *

Sunpaw was practically dragging her paws by the time they got back to the camp. Even Dewpaw was feeling mentally exhausted from all he'd seen. Thymetail _mrrowed_ in laughter at the sight of the tuckered-out cats.

"Alright, you two. Get something to eat then take a nap. I'll wake you up later so we can begin herb lessons." He said, amusement sparking in his gold eyes.

"Oh, thank Starclan!" Sunpaw raved, shoulders sagging as she sat down. Dewpaw snickered as he slid off of her back. "Just let me get my breath then we'll get something to eat..." She panted, a tired giggle escaping her.

Dewpaw purred. His sister was a funny cat sometimes. As Sunpaw took a breather, Dewpaw looked around the camp. It was mostly empty as most cats were either out hunting or patrolling. The queens were lazing outside of the Nursery. Volepelt and Brushtail were sharing a starling between them by the Elder's den. Nearby Foxleap and Thistlebird were talking- gossiping, Dewpaw grumbled -again.

"I swear! If I see Speckledbloom again I'm gonna rip her pelt off!" Foxleap growled, whipping his tail. "Bunch of territory thieves, I tell ya!"

"We've always been fighting over Alder Hills." The white she-cat answered, looking similarly salty. "Perhaps it's time that someone taught Thistleclan a lesson." She snarled, her sharp voice sending a visible shiver through Dewpaw.

 _'What's she planning..?'_ Dewpaw shrinked away from the warrior, only to bump against the pale pelt of Cloudsky. He looked up at the queen who smiled gently down at him. She moved past the twins, sitting beside Foxleap.

"Now, now. There's no need for bristling up fur." She cooed, licking her son's cheek, much to his disgust. "You were a very brave tom to fight in that nasty skirmish yesterday, Foxleap."

"Muum...! Stop it!" He hissed, embarrassment heating his fur. He leaned away from her motherly grooming.

"You know, Thistlebird. You have Boulderclan blood. You're a descendant of Birchstar and Boulderstar themselves." She said, looking over at the white she-cat. "The skirmish doesn't mean much in the long run. It's better to be friends with Thistleclan than to always fight over a bunch of trees." There was something in her tone that held a warning for the warrior.

Thistlebird shrunk beneath her scolding gaze, tail tip twitching irritably. "Yeah, yeah... I know..." She grumbled.

"Hey, if you're part Boulderclan, then can you walk on snow like you're lighter than a cloud!" Foxleap teased, batting at her playfully with a forepaw.

"No, but I can step all over you!" She replied, giving a joking growl. Dewpaw was choked to see the grouchy she-cat actually smiling and playful for once. Perhaps he had begun to think she was nothing more than a sharp voice and a bully.

Cloudsky padded back to the twins as the young warriors tussled joyfully. "Go on to the medicine cat den." She said to them softly. "I'll get you something to eat."

"You don't need to!" Sunpaw insisted, raising to her paws. "We're not that tired."

The queen gave her a look of _'oh really?'_ and smiled slyly. "Go on anyway. I'll get you a nice pigeon to share. Briarclaw brought back a bunch from the Alder Hills."

Sunpaw nodded, yawning widely. Dewpaw mewed his thanks to the white she-cat and pulled himself back into his usual seat. The twins trotted over to the Medicine Cats' Den, entering the familiar abandoned fox den where Thymetail made his home.

Reedwhisper was organizing herbs in one corner, putting the old and rotten leaves in one pile and taking note of what they needed. Thymetail was with him, getting out a fresh and old leaf of each one; presumably for their future herb lessons.

There were three nests in one corner. The scent wafting from them indicated that they were Thymetail and Reedwhisper's, the other was a fresh nest lined with sparrow feathers.

"Who made that?" Sunpaw wondered.

"Forestpaw did that for you. Caught the sparrow himself." Reedwhisper answered cheerfully. "My brother has a soft spot for you."

Sunpaw settled into the nest, stretching out with a grateful purr. Dewpaw too was thankful for the soft nest after the busy day they had. Soon after, Cloudsky popped in to drop off a large, round pigeon. The twins shared the prey, using the discarded feathers to line their nest. It was a soft mess of moss and feathers at this point, just how the 'paws liked it.

Like usual, Sunpaw fell asleep quickly, snoring softly with her tail twitching; stirring up a couple of loose feathers. Dewpaw rested his muzzle on his dark paws, staring at the earth wall of the den as he slowly drifted off. His mind wondered back to all he'd seen today.

The excitable and rude apprentices of Gorseclan; the funny and kind warrior, Carpfur. The distant Boulderclan cats and their pheasant hunt. The old kittypet, Jinja, and his story about the Colony. The world was much bigger than the Nursery and the Camp he'd known all his life.

Even if he was conjoined to his sister, Dewpaw knew that life could still be an interesting adventure. And he and Sunpaw were gonna explore it all!

* * *

 **[Author's Notes]**

New chapter and new cover! You can view the new cover in all it's beauty on my deviantART (cough link on my profile)

This chapter is a bit longer than normal, since the plot is starting to kick off!

As always, thank you all for your continued support and feel free to review and favourite if you enjoyed!


	6. Chapter 5

**[Chapter 5]**

"And celandine is for?"

"It helps with damaged eyes." Sunpaw replied, pawing at the yellow flowers. Thymetail nodded, pride in his gaze.

"That's right! What about coltsfoot?" He asked, scooping forward a bundle of rounded leaves.

"Um... For sore pads?" The tabby she-cat crouched next to the herbs and looked them over.

Dewpaw drowned out the conversation as he stared at the store; a series of holes in one wall of the old fox den. Reciting herbs was all good and well, but how could Sunpaw concentrate when one of the most important moment of their lives was about to occur!

It had been a few weeks since the twins' apprentice ceremony and with each day that passed by, Dewpaw felt a sense of excitement and dread as the half-moon drew near. Tonight was the night that the twins would meet their fellow medicine cats and be presented to Starclan. The tom had been excited to get to know the other apprentices. He'd heard a lot about Tigermist and the time Splashpaw fended off sickness all on his own after his mentor also fell ill.

They had a lot of glory to live up to.

"...ewpaw? Dewpaw!" Thymetail's impatient voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned to see the irritated glare of the usually calm tom. "You should be watching this too. I know you're probably used to just daydreaming all the time, but even if you don't have a full body, you have a brilliant mind!"

Dewpaw bushed up his fur in embarrassment. It's not like he meant to daydream, but there's not much one could do when you can't walk about on your own. With a sigh, he sat up, leaning against his sister's side with his dark paws on the floor.

"Alright. Now what's this?" Thymetail questioned, nudging forward a new pile of leaves. The shine in Sunpaw's green eyes showed that she _obviously_ knew what it was.

"Uh..." Dewpaw bent down to stare at the leaves. Small, oval-shaped leaves; kinda spiky around the edges. _'Grow on long stems...?'_

"Well?" The medicine cat prompted, nudging the pile again.

"I'd have to say... burnet?" Dewpaw didn't sound so sure of himself, but Thymetail nodded.

"That's right! It's a traveling herb." He scooped up each pile and placed them back in their usual hole in the store. Reedwhisper padded forwards with two bundles in his mouth, wrapped in beech leaves and tied with bindweed.

"You'll be needing these." The pale tabby mewed as he dropped them. "We're used to travelling all the way to the Star Lights, but you're still young."

Dewpaw gave him an awkward look, glancing back at his lack of hind legs. He never did any kind of traveling! Why would he need it? His blue gaze shifted to the pile again and he sighed. "Are you sure I need this?" He grumbled, cutting open the packaged with a claw. "Shouldn't Sunpaw get more herbs since she's doing all the work?"

"She _does_ have more herbs." Thymetail replied, a word of caution in his voice. "But you'll need to keep up your strength as well. Who knows what you'll see?" He nudged the herb package towards Dewpaw. "Now eat up. Starclan will be watching."

The tabby tom grumbled as he crouched down to lick up the foul-tasting herbs. "I already feel like I'm being watched..." He growled under his breath. Almost every day the green-eyed cat would visit him. And all he'd ever see of the mysterious feline was those curious eyes and striking scar.

His mind wandered to the stories that Raccoonleaf would tell about the evil cats from the Place of No Stars. Shadowy cats with no coat colour or gender. They'd whisper to cats with a soft voice telling them to do wrong; to eat that prey before feeding the clan, to hunt in foreign territory. The only way to tell them apart was by their eye colour and a notable characteristic they had. Be it tufted ears, a long tail or even scars. A shiver ran through his pelt.

 _'Is the green-eyed cat evil?'_ He thought, dread filling him. _'Why would a Dark Forest cat care about me?'_ Raccoonleaf always said that Dark Forest cats could never hurt a living cat. They were nothing more than a voice in your ear encouraging rebellions behaviours and dark desires. _'That cat never spoke to me either...'_

Dewpaw shook his head, clearing the thoughts from his mind. Perhaps Starclan would have answers.

"All cats old enough to chase birds meet under the Logpile for a clan meeting!"

The apprentices turned to stare out of the den's tunnel. "It's a bit late for a meeting, isn't it?" Thymetail wondered out loud. Nearby, Reedwhisper nodded and joined his mentor's side.

"I wonder if something's happened?" The pale tabby mewed. "Do you think there was another battle at Alder Hills?"

Thymetail snorted at that padded past him. "I'd hope not. With Leaf-fall coming, we don't have time to waste clan energy on a bunch of trees." He scoffed, tail flicking with contempt.

Reedwhisper looked uncertain, ears flattened slightly. "I have to agree with you there..."

The four medicine cats climbed out of the den, joining the growing crowd of cats waiting at the base. Warriors were muttering among themselves and Volepelt was complaining loudly about having to crawl out of the den so late into the afternoon. Pheasantstar's silhouette was outlined against the crimson sky, his eyes giving away nothing.

As they sat down at the base of the Logpile, Dewpaw spotted Forestpaw and Gingerfoot sitting at the front of the crowd. The tom gasped loudly as he realized what was happening; Pheasantstar's speech confirmed it.

"Although there was worry about his apprenticeship and many delays, it is finally time for Forestpaw to gain his warrior name." He began. The crowd erupted into gasps and hushed congratulations. The dark tabby beamed in the attention.

"I am proud to announce the end of this young cat apprenticeship. It has been a difficult but fruitful past few seasons, but you have learnt much from your mentor and clanmates. Gingerfoot? Do you believe that Forestpaw has learnt all that he can?" Pheasantstar turned to stare at the patched she-cat.

"I do." She announced proudly.

"Then I welcome him as an official warrior of Birchclan. From this day forward, Forestpaw shall be known as Forestgaze for his sharp eyesight and unique night vision abilities!" The clan cheered the new warrior's name as he joined Pheasantstar on top of the Logpile. Indeed, the tabby's green eyes were bright despite the shadows that swamped the camp.

Soon the crowd dispersed as cats went back to their dens or to grab a late-afternoon meal. Sunpaw and Reedwhisper trotted up to the new apprentice, tails waving excitedly.

"Congratulations, Forestgaze!" Dewpaw mewed, happy for his friend. "Sure took you long enough."

The tom cuffed him playfully, purring with amusement. "Hey! Blame your mentor for not finding out my eyes were just sensitive to sunlight sooner." He snorted, "Everyone thought I was going blind like Volepelt!"

There was a distant _'I heard that!'_ from said brown she-cat.

"Well, you've certainly earned it." Reedwhisper said as he approached his brother. The pair stared awkwardly at one another.

"You know, you could have been up there with me if you only..." Forestgaze trailed off, looking away. "But, well... Thank you."

Reedwhisper gave him a gentle smile, bumping his forehead against his. "One day we'll be standing in the spotlight together and when we do, I'll be sucking up all the attention!" He teased, pulling away after a moment. Forestgaze snickered and nudged his brother.

"Not unless **I** take all the glory!" He retorted. The awkward moment melted away, only to be filled with brotherly love. That was until Sunpaw piped up in her usual, cheery way.

"Oh, right! We have to go to the Star Lights now!" She mewed, turning to meet Thymetail's stare. The medicine cat was waiting by the entrance, looking mildly impatient. Reedwhisper cringed as if he'd completely forgotten.

"Right... Well, we gotta go." He drawled, turning away. "See ya tomorrow, Forestgaze!" The three waved their tails in goodbye as they left the new warrior to his vigil. Joining up with their mentor, the cats traveled on through the forest.

* * *

It was mildly spooky at night. Long shadows like claws raked across the grass. With a lack of undergrowth, there wasn't a lot of cover from the cold wind that blew through. Patchy moonlight broke through the foliage which had been slowly changing colours as the seasons dragged on. A few brown leaves had already fallen which crunched underpaw as they padded along an ancient path.

"The Star Lights are located in Boulderclan territory. The best way to get there is through the border between Boulderclan and Thistleclan." Thymetail explained, his voice quiet in the dark. "It's unlikely we'll get stopped by a patrol at this time of day. Not to mention that it's the half-moon, so we have permission to cross anyway."

Reedwhisper let out a skeptical snort. Had Thistleclan cats tried to stop them before? They were known for being rather aggressive and vain cats, but surely they wouldn't attack medicine cats?

Sunpaw's pelt bristled with caution as they crossed the border, the strong, musky scent of Thistleclan cats invading their noses. Thymetail remained calm as they padded on, but Reedwhisper seemed especially on edge. His hackles were raised slightly and his ears flat against his skull. Clearly the tom didn't like Thistleclan. They had traveled for a while when the medicine cat suddenly raised his tail, signalling his apprentices to stop. Dewpaw stared at him in confusion then a faint sound reached his ears. The four cats turned to stare in the direction of the noise. Something was coming towards them.

"Do you have to be so noisy?" The voice was female. "I'm pretty sure the whole forest can hear you crashing through the undergrowth."

"Oh, come on, Appledawn!" A tom replied. "Aren't you excited? Last half-moon was cancelled because of that storm."

Thymetail sighed and rolled his eyes, lowering his tail. "It's just the Thistleclan medicine cats." He explained. Reedwhisper snorted, shaking out his pelt. The twins remained on guard as two cats padded through the shrubs. One was a pale ginger she-cat who looked almost bored at the thought of visiting the Star Lights again. The other was a dark tabby tom who's hindleg was a mangled mess of skin and some kind of black, hard substance. The pair perked up at the sight of the new apprentices, curiosity in their gazes- although Appledawn still seemed rather bored.

"You must be the new kits, huh?" The tom mewed as he approached them. "I'm Tigermist! I'm sure you've heard a lot about me from Reedwhisper." He puffed out his chest proudly.

 _'Even Thistleclan medicine cats are vain.'_ Dewpaw thought as he stared at the tom from his dark ear tips to his white paw.

"All I've told them is that you're a cripple and you got your full name recently." Reedwhisper drawled, padding past them to greet Appledawn.

"Aw, come on!" Tigermist didn't seem bothered by his fellow medicine cat's attitude. "Surely you told them about how brave I am, and how I recovered after that _dreadful_ accident!" He put on a dramatic gesture, holding out his crippled leg with a paw resting on his white chest.

"Perhaps I should have warned them that you're a furbain." Appledawn interjected as she joined Thymetail. "Now come on. If you're done bothering the new kits, we have to get to the Star Lights to conduct their ceremony."

Tigermist merely snickered and bounced after his mentor. He was oddly light on his feet for a tri-paw. Seems his injury barely bothered him at all. Sunpaw and Dewpaw shared a look as they padded up to join the group.

"Do you think the other medicine cats are that... eccentric?" Dewpaw asked softly, angling his ears towards Tigermist.

"Who knows? He's a bit of a goofball, but he doesn't seem all that mean." She answered her tone optimistic.

"Appledawn seems a bit cranky though." He flicked an ear uncertainly.

"You'd be too if you had to deal with that all the time." Reedwhisper stated, looking just as grouchy as the she-cat.

"Don't you like him, Reedwhisper?" Sunpaw asked, tilting her head. The tom merely grimaced.

"I'm not particularly **fond** of any Thistleclan cat. Let's just leave it at that." He whipped his tail as he picked up the pace to join up with Thymetail.

The Birchclan and Thistleclan medicine cats traveled on together through along the border. Soon the undergrowth thinned out and even the trees grew less frequently as they made their way deeper into Boulderclan territory. The air grew colder and a faint fog drifted down from the mountains. Sunpaw gasped at the sight of the mountain range. It was taller and more expansive than anything they'd ever seen.

"Oh wow... Does Boulderclan own all of that?" She wondered out loud.

"No, but most of it. None of the other clans are really interested in a bunch of rocks." Appledawn answered, her tail flicking apprehensively.

"Let's continue on. It's almost moonhigh and the others will be waiting." Thymetail piqued up, picking up the pace.

It wasn't before long before the patrol found themselves at the mouth of a large, dark cave. Dewpaw bristled at the foreboding sight. Were they really going to go inside? It looked like it ran on forever. What if they got lost?

He was pulled from his thoughts by a _'mrrow'_ of greeting. Waiting for them were the four medicine cats from the other clans. The elderly Berryfur and her apprentice Splashpaw were crouched at the mouth of the cave. As Boulderclan cats, they were used to the rocky terrain and chill in the air. Beside them were Willowleaf and Batpaw; the dark apprentice was chattering away about something. It was hard to tell what with his quick speech. Willowleaf seemed relieved to see the other medicine cats as she padded down to greet them.

"I told Batpaw about yellowcough and now he won't shut up about how many different kind of 'coughs there are." She mewed, her tone exasperated. As they drew near, they caught snippets of the tom's one-sided conversation with Splashpaw.

"Redcough, greencough, yellowcough, blackcough, kittencough. Why are they all coughs? Do cats always cough when they have it?" He asked, nudging the patched tom. "Redcough makes you puke blood and greencough has that gross squishy stuff. But does kittencough makes you cough up kittens?"

Willowleaf shoved a paw at Batpaw's direction as if saying 'see?!'. "What do I do?" She asked, looking rather frazzled. The youthful she-cat had only been a medicine cat for a few moons before getting her own apprentice. Unfortunately for her, her old mentor had died before teaching her wisdom about training young cats.

"Ya smack him." Appledawn answered bluntly, padding past the group to do just that. There was a muffled **'ow'** as Batpaw was cuffed, his muzzle hitting the lightly grassed floor. "Come on! We don't have all night."

Reedwhisper guided the twins up the ridge, making sure to pick out the easiest route for the tired Sunpaw. As they came face to face with the foreboding cave, Dewpaw dug his claws lightly into his sister's pelt. "Do you think they'll let us get lost?" He murmured. Sunpaw gave him a confused glance.

"Thymetail wouldn't think of it! Although..." She turned to look at Appledawn who was shoving Batpaw and Tigermist into the tunnel. "She might."

Dewpaw nodded. Sticking close to their mentor, the pair slowly made their way through the stifling darkness of the cave. They could barely see the grey pelt of Thymetail among the shadows. It was beginning to feel like the darkness would never end when a faint light poured in from ahead.

"What's that?" Sunpaw breathed, her voice echoing.

"You'll see." Thymetail answered, picking up the pace.

The light grew blinding as they grew closer and then they found themselves in an expansive cavern. It was huge, bigger than the camp even. The ground sloped off to either side into a pool of glittering water which circled around the island. Above their heads was a glorious and mystic sight. Hundreds of soft blue lights lit up the stone ceiling. Occasionally flickering and almost seeming to sway as they hung there. The twins gasped in awe, slowly padding forward until they stood underneath the lights.

"What are they?" Dewpaw asked, his voice soft from shock.

"Bugs." Splashpaw answered with a grimace. "They're called glowworms, but we refer to this place as the Star Lights." He waved his tail at the blue, glowing creatures.

"Splashpaw isn't exactly fond of bugs." Berryfur chuckled, giving a mischievous grin. "You should have heard him squeal when one dropped onto his head!"

"Please be quiet." The apprentice growled as he stalked past them, going to sit on the edge of the archipelago.

Soon the other medicine cats joined him, each sitting on the rounded end of the island. Thymetail sat in front of them, beckoning Sunpaw and Dewpaw to him.

"We are gathered under the light of Starclan tonight to welcome these young cats as apprentices. I, Thymetail, am proud to present Sunpaw and Dewpaw before you." He spoke, voice echoing in the cavern. "Sunpaw, Dewpaw, lie underneath the Lights and Starclan themselves shall visit you." He gestured towards the river where the other cats were sitting.

Each medicine cat laid down at the edge of the pool with one paw dipped into the gleaming water. As Sunpaw rested on her belly, Dewpaw crawled forwards until he could tip one of his dark paws in. "Now close your eyes and you'll visit Starclan's hunting grounds." Thymetail whispered, his breath tickling their ear fur. As usual, Sunpaw was quick to fall asleep. Dewpaw watched the surface of the water ripple gently around their paws, slowly becoming blurrier as he drifted into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Dewpaw's blue eyes flashed open as he found himself in an unknown meadow. Long, soft grass covered the field and it was dotted with tiny, purple flowers. In the centre was a low, flat rock that had imprints like many generations of cats had sunbathed on top of it. Tall trees circled the outside of the meadow and he could hear the gentle bubbling of a stream nearby. As he glanced up, he was shocked to see that even though it was day time, both the sun and the moon were high in the sky and stars were sprinkled among the sparse clouds.

"This must be Starclan..." He wondered out loud, leaping onto the boulder. "Wait..." Leaping? Dewpaw whirled around, expecting to see his body disappear into the golden pelt of his sister but finding a grey striped rump. He seemed to chase his own tail as he tried to get a good look at his new found hind legs. "I'm complete in Starclan!" He exclaimed, both shocked and overjoyed.

"Well, why wouldn't you be?" A voice echoed, clearly amused. The tom spun around, only to see those familiar green eyes watching in from the treeline.

"You!" He yowled, almost accusingly. "Who are you?"

The green-eyed cat let out a /mrrow/ of amusement then started to sprint down the hill into the meadow. With each step they took, their form grew clearer. Tufted ears, golden-ginger tabby fur. From their pale paws to the rounded tip of their fluffy tail. As they drew closer, Dewpaw realized it was a tom.

"I'm the interfering Swiftsorrel!" He announced as he bounced to a stop in front of the young apprentice. "I'll be your guide to Starclan and omens." He winked jokingly.

"I've never heard of you..." Dewpaw mewed slowly. "Are- were -you a Birchclan cat?"

Swiftsorrel shook his head, taking a seat on top of the boulder beside Dewpaw. "Nope. I was from Gorseclan- Hollystar's mate." Dewpaw gasped and flinched away from him, but still not used to being able to move on his own, overstepped and fell tumbling into the soft grass. The tom groaned and sat up, rubbing a paw over his muzzle in embarrassment.

"What are you doing in Starclan then?" He muttered, glaring up at the ginger tom. "Shouldn't you be in the Dark Forest?"

"Why would I?" He blinked. "My mate may have been evil, but that doesn't mean I am. After all, wasn't it Maplemist who ended her reign?" Swiftsorrel didn't seem offended by the apprentice's harsh words, if anything, he seemed amused. "You can't fault a cat for the sins of his kin or clan." He continued, joining Dewpaw in the grass. "Isn't that part of the warrior code?"

It was true. One of the unspoken rules of the Warrior Code that all clan cats lived by was to not blame the kin or clan of an evil cat for that cat's actions. You fault the individual, not the group.

"Then why are you my Starclan guide?" Dewpaw asked, resting his tail over his paws. "Shouldn't it be a Birchclan cat like my fathers' parents or something?"

The ginger tabby sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, Frostsoul wanted to come with, but knowing how blunt and abrasive he can be, we decided against it." He shook out his pelt. "Anyway! I should actually do my job and welcome you to Starclan!" As he spoke, a cool breeze blew through the field, ruffling his thick fur majestically. That noble look did not last for long however as he was left looking rather scruffy as the wind dropped suddenly.

"So... What do I do as a medicine cat?" Dewpaw asked after an awkward moment. "I don't have my own body, so I'm useless in the real world." He scowled and slumped his shoulders.

"Come now, I don't think that's completely true." Swiftsorrel mewed, resting his tail around the younger's shoulders. "You're good with people aren't you? And when you aren't daydreaming, you have sharp eyes and a strong mind." He gestured to the trees around them with a forepaw. "Herbs and traveling to the Star Lights are just a few parts of being a medicine cat. Being able to deal with cats and having empathy for their pain is another."

"I suppose..." Dewpaw murmured, feeling secretly relieved that he wasn't completely useless.

"And having the eyesight and brains for spotting out omens and signs is also very important." Swiftsorrel's green gaze suddenly turned dark and serious. "There is something coming, Dewpaw."

The apprentice shivered in apprehension. "What? Is something going to happen to the clans?" He asked urgently. "Can we stop it?"

The Starclan warrior refused to answer, standing up and staring into the distance at some unknown threat. "It will drive you far from the clans to a place you've been before." He spoke, voice echoing cryptically. "You must trust your companions, no matter your feelings towards them for they will save you in the crucial moment." He then whipped his head around to stare into Dewpaw's blue gaze, his own misty with things the apprentice could not see.

 **"One will die of a destiny predestined for them, another will be taken from a life they were never meant to live."**


	7. Chapter 6

**[Chapter 6]**

 _"One will die of a destiny predestined for them, another will be taken from a life they were never meant to live."_

Those words echoed in Dewpaw's ears. Ever since Swiftsorrel had given him the prophecy, the tom had been unable to get the words out of his mind. He hadn't told Thymetail or even Sunpaw about it. It wasn't as if he didn't trust them, but he didn't know what to do. Why had something so important been entrusted to him? The half-cat? What if they didn't believe him- simply thinking he was making it up for attention?

As his mind swam with possibilities, he gazed down at the half-eaten shrew at his paws. _'What does it even mean?'_ He thought, brows furrowing in frustration. _'Someone's gonna die? "Taken from a life"- what does that mean?'_ He clawed at the prey. _'Is it just saying that death is coming?'_

At this point, Dewpaw wouldn't be surprised. Leaf-fall had arrived in full as each moon passed on. The forest was covered in colourful, dry leaves and the camp had become flooded with them. Letting his gaze wander from his meal, the tom spotted Squirrelpaw and Weaselpaw sweeping leaves out of the Elders' Den. Volepelt was complaining loudly about it. A chill in the wind spoke of the upcoming Leafbare and Snowstar, the leader of Boulderclan, had reported frost in the mountains. Boulderclan's territory was always the first to get snow. Ice winds blew down from the peaks, covering the cliffs in snow fall.

Leaf-fall was a time of preparing. Dewpaw and Sunpaw had become even busier with their apprentice duties as they gathered, preserved and sorted new herbs. Thymetail had even traveled to Gorseclan to trade some with Willowleaf in exchange for catmint- a rare plant on Birchclan territory, but one that was much needed. The apprentices were busy with chores including hunting and repairing dens to keep out the cold. The Nursery was especially cozy after their work, with Rowanwing about to have her kits and Gingerfoot having moved in recently, Leafbare was going to be a hard time.

With the cold weather moving in, hunting had become harder and familiar fights broke out at the borders. Alder Hills, infamous for the blood that soaked it's soil after the many, many skirmishes that had taken place there. Thistleclan and Birchclan both claiming the land as their own. Leaf-fall was the season where most of the fighting happened. Cats could not risk injuries in Leafbare so long ago, the leaders decided that during Leaf-fall whoever owned the territory last before Leafbare would own it until next Greenleaf. It was a stressful time for medicine cats although it seemed that some warriors enjoyed the fight.

"Sunpaw! Dewpaw!" Reedwhisper called. Dewpaw shook out his fur, chasing his thoughts away for now. He'd have time to figure out the prophecy later- but how much time do the clans have left?

"What is it?" Sunpaw yowled back, helping Dewpaw up onto his usual spot. They padded over to the pale tabby, curiosity in Sunpaw's green gaze.

"I need you to gather coltsfoot today," He explained, pointing back at where Thymetail was organizing herbs in the den. "We're low and there's going to be a lot of coughs with this weather keeping up." Sunpaw nodded eagerly. She loved going out into the forest, finding any excuse to go out and look for new herbs. "There's a patch near the cluster of streams that'll die as soon as the frost hits it, so try to gather as much of it as you can. I'll be down later to dig it up and replant it in a more sheltered spot."

"Stream cluster. Got it." Sunpaw nodded firmly. Dewpaw glanced at her sharply. _'She does know that's near Alder Hills, right?'_ He thought incredulously. Although it was unlikely anyone would attack them, he didn't exactly want to bring attention to himself. Sure everyone they met so far had been at least somewhat polite about the twins' condition, but who knows if there was someone like Thistlebird in the other clans.

Much to his distress, neither Reedwhisper nor Sunpaw brought up the streams' location and soon they were off. Dewpaw ducked under the holly tunnel's branches, grumbling softly to himself. _'Maybe the prophecy's gonna be fulfilled earlier than we thought...'_ He thought darkly, letting out a snort of amusement.

"What's so funny?" Sunpaw asked, interested in her voice.

"Nothing! Just..." Dewpaw trailed off, unsure if he should tell her about the prophecy. "Hey, Sunpaw? Have you had any... weird dreams lately?" He begun.

"Do you mean like the ones we had at the Star Lights?" She replied, a teasing grin on her face. "You know we aren't meant to talk about those!"

Dewpaw bushed out his fur with a huff. "I know! I'm just... curious." He couldn't tell her about it. It was too important! Plus, who knows? Maybe she already knew it...?

"Well you know I can't tell you anything!" Sunpaw purred, padding on through the forest. They fell into silence again; Dewpaw brooding with his thoughts whilst Sunpaw happily traveled on her way.

It wasn't before long before they came up to the place in question. Though it had no name, everyone simply referred to it as a "cluster of streams" or "the flood creek". It was a shallow piece of land covered in what would be a broad stream, but in the hotter months it dwindled down to many smaller rivers weaving around the large rocks that dotted the bank. Climbing up one side of the clay-smeared bank, Sunpaw searched around for the coltsfoot plant, her pale nose to the ground.

"Over there!" Dewpaw pointed to the yellow-flowered plant with a paw. "I think that's it."

"Are you sure?" Sunpaw flicked an ear. "Last time you mixed up coltsfoot and dandelion." The tom whipped his tail in irritation.

"That was one time, okay?" He growled, only to receive a teasing purr in reply. He slid off of her back, crouching down next to the plant to help her strip it bare. "Is Leafbare really as harsh as everyone says?" He wondered, spitting out the leaves.

"A lot of cats died last Leafbare." Sunpaw shrugged. "Volepelt said that her mate, Haretuft, died in that plague of greencough that went around. Pheasantstar's dad, Goosefang, also died and a lot of other cats."

Dewpaw felt a twinge of guilt. Perhaps he should take things a bit more seriously... "Is that when Rowanwing lost her first litter?" He asked softly.

Sunpaw shook her head. "No, but she was one of the ones who was sick. The stress of fighting it off killed her kits, that's why they were born dead. At least that's what Thymetail says." She explained, gathering up the leaves into one pile and the flowers in another. "His mentor died too. I think her name was Fleetcloud- _I think?_ "She tilted her head for a moment, trying to jumpstart her memory. "No, Finchcloud! ... Something -cloud at least." She shook her head cheerfully, giving a giggle.

 _'How she stays so happy, I'll never understand.'_ Dewpaw thought as he stared at her. Sometimes her optimism got annoying, but at least someone was always looking on the bright side. He opened his jaws to speak but a screech interrupted him. Angry yowls and shrieks echoed through the forest, scaring away nearby birds.

"There's a fight at Alder Hills!" Sunpaw mewed, her expression alert. "We should help!"

Dewpaw stared at her in shock. "How can we help?!" He hissed, climbing onto her back.

"We're medicine cats aren't we?" She replied hastily. "We can help with injuries!"

She didn't allow him to retort as she sprinted off through the bushes. Her speed was another thing he'd never understand. _'How can she move this quickly when she's always carrying me around?!'_ He scoffed, staying low on her back.

They busted through the undergrowth to a bloody sight. The grass was churned up and splattered with blood. Everywhere cats were engaged in battles, wrestling and swiping at one another as they yowled aggressively. Defensive hisses and taunting mews split the air. Through the chaos Dewpaw spotted Forestgaze beating down a white tom and Wrenflight had his fangs embedded in a brown-and-white she-cat's ear. Sunpaw hastily dodged out of the way as Briarclaw rolled past, entangled in a fight with a pair of calico apprentices.

"Is anyone down?" Sunpaw asked loudly him over the screeches.

"I'm not sure!" He replied, searching through the chaos.

"Wait! There's a big tom fainted near the rocks!" Sunpaw gasped.

In an instant, the twins were weaving through the battle. Luckily they got to the injured cat without getting involved in any of the fights. Dewpaw gasped loudly when he realized who it was. He whipped his head around to glare at his sister. "You furbrain!" He yowled over the sounds of battle. "That's Rotwhisker! The Thistleclan deputy!"

"So?" She retorted, tail held high. "We should still help him!"

"Why? So he can attack our clan mates again?" He hissed. "Think about it!"

Sunpaw glared at him defiantly, tail whipping behind her. "We're medicine cats! It's our _job_ to help cats, even if they're from another clan." There was a steely tone to her voice. "If you don't want to help him, then I will!" Her voice grew quieter. "It's not as if you have a choice in the matter."

Dewpaw recoiled as if he'd been struck, shock rattling him into silence. He paid no attention as Sunpaw checked over Rotwhisker before trotting off to fetch cobwebs for his wounds. The battle around them blurred, the screeches fading until Dewpaw could only hear his own heartbeat in his ears. _'How dare she!'_ He cried silently. _'She thinks just because she's whole, she can control my life?!'_ He was pulled from his thoughts when a long-furred Thistleclan warrior cried for retreat. A pair of golden furred warriors hustled over to collect their deputy, only to recoil at the sight of the twins.

"What the Dark Forest are they?" The she-cat hissed, eyeing the pair ruefully.

"Whatever they are, Starclan **cursed** their birth." The tom replied hastily. They grabbed Rotwhisker by the scruff hauling him over the border back into their territory. Sunpaw stared after them, tail tip twitching.

"I help their deputy and they treat me like a monster!" She huffed. The sound of quick paw steps caught the twins' attention.

"Sunpaw! Dewpaw! What are you doing here?" Wrenflight panted as he caught up to them. There was blood on his cheek and a long scratch across his shoulders. "It's too dangerous! What were you thinking- running into a battle like that?"

Sunpaw didn't seem affected by her father's scolding tone. "We were just doing our job." She replied calmly before glancing at Dewpaw. "Well, _one_ of us were..."

The grey tabby ignored her, focusing his attention on Wrenflight. "You should really get that scratch checked out." He glanced over at their other clan mates. Everyone appeared rather beat up, but nobody had any serious wounds. Briarclaw trotted up to the group, Weaselpaw at his side. The ginger tom was limping heavily, one of his forepaws held against his chest.

"Weaselpaw tore out a claw." Brairclaw explained, ears flattened.

"An entire one?!" Wrenflight winced, flexing his own paws instinctively.

"It's nothin'..." The apprentice grumbled. Despite his cool facade, he was clearly in pain. Sunpaw padded up to him, sniffing at the wound lightly.

"You're gonna have to see Thymetail about that..." She mumbled, whiskers twitching in disgust. "Is everyone else okay?"

Giving a nod Briarclaw looked over at the rest of the patrol. Forestgaze was licking a wound on his hindleg and Foxleap was checking over Squirrelpaw for any serious injuries. "We're all fine. I'd like to imagine that those Thistleclan cowards are the ones who ended up with nice lot of new scars." He growled.

"What in Starclan happened?" Dewpaw spoke up again, sliding off of his sister's back. "You weren't even on Alder Hills and they still attacked!"

The black tom shook his head, anger in his amber eyes. "Those foxhearts attacked us when we were just patrolling our border!" He explained, tail whipping in the bloodied grass. "Suppose they want more territory?"

"Even more than Alder Hills?" Wrenflight asked, worry edged in his voice.

"Maybe. Do you think something happened in their territory to make them so edgy?" He wondered. "Well, whatever it is, they can keep it to themselves. With Leafbare coming, we don't need a bunch of mousehearts starting battles." Briarclaw padded away back to his patrol, leading them back to the camp. Wrenflight sighed heavily, glancing upwards as if sending a prayer to Starclan.

"Come on, we better head home." He mewed after a moment. "I'm sure Thymetail will want you to help."

Sunpaw nodded then paused, midstep. "Oh wait! We have to pick up the coltsfoot we were gathering!" She turned to Dewpaw. "Hurry up and climb on."

The tom scoffed but complied. He was still upset over her previous words. Wrenflight went along with the pair, keeping an eye out in case any Thistleclan warriors were sneaking about. Dewpaw felt as though there was someone watching him. He turned his head, almost expecting to see the green gaze of Swiftsorrel, but was met with a pair of gold eyes staring at him at point blank range. He hissed in fright.

"You seem on edge. Were you hurt in the battle?" Wrenflight mewed, tipping his head to the side.

Dewpaw shook his head, fur flattening. "Oh, no- I'm fine." He glanced away from the probing stare of his father. The tom didn't seem convinced, but didn't press on. Soon they came up to the lumpy land that was the flood creeks. Sunpaw trotted over to where they had dropped the pile of coltsfoot. Some of the leaves had been blown a way and a few of the flowers looked nibbled on. A musky scent pointed it towards the work of mice.

"There must be a nest around here." Wrenflight mused, nose to the ground. "You will be fine on your own, no?"

"Don't worry!" Sunpaw chirped, "We'll be heading to camp soon anyway. You can hunt if you want."

 _'As if Dad needs her permission...'_ Dewpaw thought to himself, a silent growl rumbling in his chest. The tom couldn't get over how she had treated him! As if he wasn't his own cat! Then again... He glared down ruefully at where his half-body attached to her full one. _'Can I really say I am when I look like... this..?'_ He sighed, tail tip flicking.

* * *

The apprentice ducked his head as the low hanging branches of the holly tunnel scratched at his ears. It only served to worsen his mood. Sunpaw had a skip in her step as she trotted over to the medicine den. Reedwhisper purred a greeting from where he was organizing herbs.

"Great job!" He pulled the coltsfoot closer to the hole-dotted wall. "I have to go give some to Volepelt, so rest up for now." Dewpaw perked his ears.

"Is Volepelt okay?" He asked, worry edging his mew.

Reedwhisper looked uncertain for a moment then smiled. "It's just normal elder aliments." He explained calmly, "She'll be back to her cranky self tomorrow!" He brushed against the twins as he climbed back up the tunnel. In one corner, Thymetail was stretched out in his nest. Threads of spiderweb was stuck to his paws and the scent of marigold was on his breath. Seems he had dealt with the wounded cats from the border battle.

"Are we even sure we _want_ Volepelt to get better?" Sunpaw joked with a flick of her ear. "If it means her being cranky again... I'm not sure I do!"

"Shut up!" Dewpaw hissed suddenly, the anger that had built up flooding out. "All you do is joke and be happy! Don't you ever **think** what you say, or is it all nonsense to you?!"

She whipped around to stare at him, blue-green eyes wide with shock. "Dewpaw, I... What...?" She blabbered, confused about his sudden rage.

"You do whatever you want- never thinking about what _I_ want!" He went on, sliding off of her back to stand there, tail bristling. Sunpaw's ears flattened.

"Are you mad about what I said before? I said I was sorry!" She growled back, paws shifting uncomfortably in the dirt.

 **"No you didn't!"** Dewpaw felt his hackles spike out. He'd never felt so insulted! He frowned, muzzle twisted into a snarl. "You've **never** cared **once** about my opinion!"

The moss rustled behind them as Thymetail rose to his paws, blinking blearily at the twins. "What in Starclan is going on with you two?" He asked, voice higher pitched than normal.

Like a floodgate, Dewpaw felt the rest of his emotions spill out. The overwhelming sense of dread and responsibility from the prophecy, his worries about the future, his _hatred_ of his own existence- everything. "Perhaps you should ask Starclan what the Dark Forest is wrong!" Dewpaw snapped at his mentor. "Ask them why they made me this way! Why they've pushed all their burdens onto me!"

"Huh? What _burdens_?! You don't even have to lift a paw to do anything!" Sunpaw hissed, ears flat against her skull. "I'm the one that has to carry your useless tail around!"

The tom whipped his head around to glare at her, disgust darkening his blue gaze. "So I'm useless now?!" He felt a twinge of satisfaction as his sister recoiled, clearly regretting her words. "That's all you ever think of me. Useless weight to haul around! I bet you wish I was never born, then you could be a warrior!"

As he raised a trembling paw to strike her, he caught a flicker of shadow in the corner of his eye. Strangely shaped ears and a gaze greener than the forest. He felt his breath catch in his throat and his paw faltered.

 **"Sunpaw! Dewpaw! That's enough!"** The authoritative tone of Thymetail struck through the fog in his mind. "Elder caring duty for the next moon and you will NOT be attending the Gathering!" The apprentices shrunk where they stood, each lowering their raised claws shamefully. In the entrance way of the den, Reedwhisper stood, dumbfounded at the seen he returned to. Slowly, he looked over at the older healer, his green gaze meeting his gold. There was a small nod.

"... I'll show you where the mousebile is." He mewed quietly after a moment, padding past Thymetail as if he was a fox ready to grab him at any moment.

"I can't have my apprentices _fighting_ at every moment." Thymetail spoke again, his voice softer this time. "You two will have to make up sooner or later. Until then, you're to check the elders for ticks, make sure their bedding is clean and that they're fed. _Do you understand?"_

There was a tense moment before Sunpaw replied, her mew quieter than it had ever been. "Yes, Thymetail... I'm sorry.." She murmured, head bowed shamefully. Dewpaw nodded, but did not raise his gaze from his paws. He didn't want to even look at his sister.

 _'Who...'_ He paused, glancing around. Worry was etched into his heart. _'That wasn't Swiftsorrel... Who was that...?'_ He shivered as he felt the cool brush of fur against his own, but he couldn't tell if it was Sunpaw beside him or someone- **something** else.

* * *

 **[Author's Note]**

Well... that was interesting, no?

Happy Holidays, everyone! Sorry I had to go on hiatus for a bit there. I got sick suddenly, then I moved and in came the holidays and whoo! Busy!

I didn't want to half ass any of the chapters, so I decided to take a break and get my motivation back.

Next Chapter: Rowanwing's kits and a wise word from Volepelt!


	8. Chapter 7

**[Chapter 7]**

"Ya should have seen how pissed Snowstar was!" Weaselpaw snickered. "Rotwhisker kept side-eyeing her the entire time, like he wanted her to mention somethin'."

The apprentices were huddled together underneath an overhanging ancient birch, sharing tongues and eating their prey. Dewpaw was sitting as far from his sister as he could, which wasn't very far given his situation. Squirrelpaw was lazily spread out in the grass whilst Weaselpaw was gossiping about last night's Gathering to Specklepaw and Starlingpaw. Sunpaw was silent as she neatly ate a thrush, seemingly aloof to everyone.

"Do you think she'll actually wage war...?" Specklepaw mewed nervously.

"Of course not! Where'd ya get that mousebrained idea?" Weaselpaw scoffed. He lightly batted the younger's ear. "Nobody is foxhearted enough to wage a war right before Leafbare. Especially since the Alder Hills skirmishes are still on-goin'!"

"Speaking of those dumb fights..." Squirrelpaw spoke up through a yawn. "Has your paw healed yet or nah?"

Weaselpaw lifted up a white-dipped paw, unsheathing his claws to show off the obvious missing tip of one of his toes. "Yeah, it's fine. Sucks that the _whole_ claw got ripped off though." The ginger apprentice shrugged and crouched back down.

"It's still gross..." Specklepaw cringed, the fur on his neck spiking out. The tom grinned and stepped closer to the spotted other, showing off the scarred toe right in his face.

"Oh, yeh? Take a closer look then!" He snickered, tail swishing mischievously. Specklepaw grimaced harder and backed away from the sight. But to his dismay, Weaselpaw chased after him.

"Boys are so stupid..." Squirrelpaw grumbled, rolling over in the grass.

 _'You're just lazy.'_ Dewpaw thought, scowling slightly. He gazed down at the half-eaten shrew at his paws. It's head and torso were missing, leaving just it's lower half. Staring at it, he was reminded of his own body. _'... This is stupid...'_ Suddenly he didn't feel hungry anymore.

It had been days since his fight with Sunpaw. He'd refused to speak to her since, despite the hurt looks she threw him. He wouldn't apologize. What's the point, when he doesn't _feel_ sorry? He'd rather pull out the ticks from **all** the elders in the forest than apologize!

"Sunpaw! Dewpaw! Have you finished yet?" Thymetail called from the entrance of his den. "If so, then get to the Elders' Den. Ticks may be dying off thanks to this weather, but you've still got fleas to crack."

"We're on it, Thymetail!" Sunpaw replied, pawing some stray feathers from her muzzle. She glanced at her brother briefly. "Are you going to finish it? If not I could take it to-"

"I'll just give it Volepelt." He said curtly. Shaking out her pelt, the she-cat sighed but did not argue. Picking up the shrew, Dewpaw reluctantly climbed onto Sunpaw's back. He felt his fur itching where it touched her's, as if the hairs themselves were fleas, nipping and clawing at him. _'Disgusting...'_ He felt a boiling contempt rise in his chest and a cold breeze washed over his fur. Dewpaw didn't dare to look up from his paws, fearing that he'd spot the strange, shadowy cat from before. _'Perhaps I should Reedwhisper or Thymetail about it...'_ Or maybe they'd just think he's making it up for attention. Perhaps it was just a figment of his imagination.

"Volepelt hasn't been eating a lot lately, has she?" Sunpaw mewed softly, trying to get some kind of interacting from her brother. Despite his grudge against her, the tabby was grateful for the distraction.

"Tawnypool says that cold weather makes elders cranky and thin." He held the shrew between his paws. "They're less likely to eat if they feel ill or cold."

"Good thing you're bringing them something to eat then, huh?" Sunpaw tried to smile at him, but Dewpaw merely looked away, putting on an aloof air. She sighed.

* * *

"So you're still not off the hook, ay?" Brushtail greeted as the apprentices padded into the den.

"Nope... I've tried apologizing to Thymetail and Dewpaw, but, well..." The she-cat glanced over at Dewpaw as he hopped down, shrew in his jaws.

"He's being stubborn." The hoarse voice of Volepelt mewed. She raised her head to stare sternly at them. "I can smell his broodiness from here." Dewpaw hissed wordlessly.

"Well, come on. There's no point in arguin' about it." Brushtail mewed, twitching an ear. "I got a real bad flea botherin' me right behind my ear. Think you can find it, Sunpaw?" There was a purr in his rumbling meow that soothed her. She was grateful for the elder's encouragement.

Whilst Sunpaw sat beside the old tom, Dewpaw was stretched out as far from her as he could be, focusing on trying to groom out a matted patch on Volepelt's shoulder. As he licked, he was painfully aware of Sunpaw as she was purring. He could feel the vibrations through his own fur.

"What's got your fur tangled, huh?" Volepelt asked through a mouth full of shrew. "Are you still being angsty over that argument?"

Dewpaw's ears flattened against his skull. "It was more than just an argument! It was... Ugh...! You wouldn't understand!" He growled, tugging harder on the matted fur.

"You don't think I've dealt with grouchy apprentices before?" She drawled, sounding more amused than angry. "I raised Raccoonleaf after all. You should have seen him at your age."

Slowly, the tabby looked up at her, eyes narrowed skeptically. "Did he have to deal with bullying from his own sister?" Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Sunpaw glancing at him hurtfully.

"Well for one he doesn't have a sister," She huffed. "He does have Thymetail though. They are brothers, even if they don't act like it." Dewpaw felt a trill of shock run through him. "After their parents died, they grew apart from one another. Thymetail to focus on his training to become a medicine cat, Raccoonleaf on his own self-pity." She seemed to scoff the last part.

"Are you saying I'm being self-pitiful?" Dewpaw hissed, ears flattening again. Volepelt whipped her head around to glare at him with pale blue eyes.

"That's exactly what I'm saying!" Sighing, she softened her gaze. "What I'm saying is that you can't spend your whole life wondering what things would be like if you weren't conjoined, or feeling angry because life isn't fair. Because the truth is, nothing in life will ever go the way you want it too," She shifted her gaze to him again. "But that doesn't mean it's all bad."

Dewpaw felt a calmness take over the turmoil in his chest. He stared at the wooden walls of the den, mulling over her words. _'Life isn't fair, but it isn't horrible either...?'_ Was she right? Volepelt hadn't lived for so many moons to be unwise. Even though the elder was grouchy and rude, she wasn't unkind. Was life like a cranky old queen?

"Think about this hollow trunk where us elders live." The bi-colour spoke up again, gesturing to the bark walls around them with her tail. "This tree has long since died, but life still thrives within it." Dewpaw stared at her, brows furrowing in confusion.

"How does that compare to life though?" He tilted his head. Volepelt let out a heavy sigh, resting her head on her paws.

"Think about it! I didn't reveal my wisdom to you for nothing now, did I?" She pressed, giving him a wry smile.

He raised his blue gaze to the bark again, only now noticing the moss growing in the deepest furrows. He narrowed his gaze, wracking his brain for ideas. "... Oh! I think I get it!" He mewed, tail raising happily. "It means that even if life is at it's saddest point, good things can still come. Is that right?"

"That's it. Nice to see you're not all 'paw angst." She teased, gazing at him through one milky blue eye. Dewpaw rested his paws on her side as he resumed grooming, feeling the gentle rumbles of her purr through her thin fur. "You know... When Raccoonleaf and Wrenflight brought you two back from the forest, I almost felt like I was seeing my own grandkits. I consider Raccoonleaf one of my children after all."

"Do you have kits?" He asked with a tilt of his head.

"Oh yes," Volepelt purred, her hoarse voice oddly soft. "Rowanwing is mine. The only kit I ever birthed. My mate and I wanted more, but it never worked out." There was a whimsical tone to her mew. "Perhaps that runs in the family..."

"Is that why Rowanwing and Yellowstorm last litter died?" He wondered cautiously, unsure if it was a sensitive subject for the elder.

"Maybe... But I think this litter will grow into fine young cats." She glanced at him briefly before focusing her gaze on the wall of the den. "I hope they grow into cats like you and your sister, Dewpaw. Even if you're broody and she's eccentric, you're both strong apprentices. You have a bright mind and your sister has strength in her social skills."

Dewpaw sighed, hanging his head. He felt regret and shame crawl into his pelt. He wasn't smart, if anything, he'd been acting like a complete furbrain these past few days. He paused when he felt a tail brush against his side. "Volepelt...? Do you really believe that?" He whispered, scared that if he spoke up, his voice would tremble.

"I **know** it, Dewpaw." She assured firmly. "Please, apologize to your sister and mentors. There is no shame in admitting weakness or faults in your actions. You're brave for doing so, in fact." She stared at him through half-lidded eyes, the warmth of a mother- or grandmother in this case -in her light blue gaze.

The apprentice smiled gently at her, burying his muzzle into her soft chest fur. "Thank you..." He murmured. For a moment he just laid there, the world blocked out. Their heartbeats in sync as a cool breeze danced through. Their breaths clouding as they slowly lost body heat together. The gentle, rumbling purr of Volepelt grew silent then, slowly, faded out completely. "I'll do my best, for you!" He promised, raising his head once again. "I won't let you down Volepelt!" She remained silent. "Volepelt? Did you fall asleep?" He blinked, nudging her gently with a forepaw. "Volepelt?" Emotions swelled up in him as he realized what was wrong.

"What's wrong with Volepelt?" Sunpaw asked, stepping over to him. He stared up at her with misting eyes.

"She... She passed away..." He croaked. The pale-pelted elder looked peaceful in her nest, curled up with one paw outstretched from where it was resting on Dewpaw.

"Volepelt no...!" Brushtail gasped, joining the young cats. "I guess it was her time to join Haretuft and her kits..."

Sunpaw crouched next to her grieving brother, her golden pelt pressed against his. "It's okay, Dewpaw... She's in Starclan now. Where hunger never lingers and the cold can't get her." Dewpaw glanced at her, expecting to feel the familiar taint of contempt but only found a fondness.

"I know..." He mumbled after a moment, pressing his face into her shoulder. Sunpaw rested her chin on his head, letting her brother whimper against her.

"We'd better tell Thymetail and Rowanwing to prepare the burial-" Brushtail's mew was cut off by an echoing yowl.

"Rowanwing's kits are coming!" It was Reedwhisper.

"Now is not the time for that!" Sunpaw squeaked, jumping to her paws. Hastily, Dewpaw scrambled onto her back.

"We can't tell her that her mum died now!" Dewpaw's fur bunched uncertainly. "What if that just stresses her out more?"

"You kits go help Reedwhisper with the kitting, I'll tell Thymetail about Volepelt." Brushtail said, nodding to the two. "He won't be there, he's squeamish about queen's bleeding."

Dewpaw could understand that completely, he himself wasn't so sure about helping out at a kitting. "Alright... I hope word doesn't get to Rowanwing before she's done though.."

* * *

Gingerfoot and Cloudsky were lingering outside of the entrance, keeping away anyone who wasn't needed. The Nursery was a fox den hidden underneath a tree stump, the old roots acting like a roof for the large room. The twins slipped inside, only to be greeted by an ear-splitting screech.

"Is Rowanwing okay?" Sunpaw asked, shaking the ringing from her ears. The ginger queen was spread out on her side, Yellowstorm at her head whilst Reedwhisper was focused on her lower end.

"She's doing fine," The pale tabby replied, glancing up at them. "It's just her pain management methods involve busting ear drums." He grinned as the kitten queen yowled again.

"What do you need us to do?" Dewpaw mewed, clearing his throat. His grief felt all the too fresh. How could he be expected to work when someone just died? _'Life goes on and so must you.'_ He could almost hear her rough mew berating him for not focusing. Where one life dies, another is about to begin.

"Dewpaw, stay by me to look after the kits as they come. Sunpaw, chew up some burnet leaves for her. She'll need her strength." Reedwhisper explained. He pressed a paw against her trembling side. "A kit is coming. Be ready!"

"He makes it sound like he's facing an enemy patrol." Yellowstorm mewed, a nervous smile on his face.

"He basically is though." Sunpaw replied, tail twitching. "For us medicine cats, a kitting queen is as dangerous as a patrol. You could lose the kits and the mother if you don't know what to do."

"Even then... Sometimes you can't stop fate..." Reedwhisper murmured ominously, much to Yellowstorm's fright. The pale tom flashed him a grin. "But it'll be fine. See?"

A high-pitched squeal split the air. At the medicine cat's paws was a wet bundle of fur. The tiny tom mewled as Dewpaw groomed his fur the wrong way, trying to warm him up. "He's very active." Dewpaw commented, gazing down at him.

He felt pride swell in his chest as the kit squirmed against his muzzle. He remembered the still fur of Volepelt after death, her pelt almost as soft as this kit's who had just begun life. _'This kit doesn't know how cruel life can be... but I'll pass on Volepelt's wisdom.'_ He promised silently, nuzzling the newborn. _'Her grandson will know what she passed on to me.'_

"And another!" Reedwhisper's announcement pulled him out of his thoughts. At his paws was another tom, a brighter red than his brother. After a thorough grooming, they placed both kits at their mother's belly.

"Aw! They're so tiny and cute!" Sunpaw purred, tail waving behind her.

"I'm afraid I'll break them..." Yellowstorm said through an awkward smile.

"I'll make sure you won't." Rowanwing teased. Despite her fatigue, she looked brighter and happier than she had been for moons. She gazed down at the kits with love in her gold eyes.

"What are you going to call them?" Dewpaw wondered. Rowanwing glanced at her mate then nodded. Yellowstorm touched his muzzle to each kit.

"This one is Hedgekit," It was the firstborn, a ruddy tom with a lighter underside like his mother's. "And this is Russetkit." The younger was a bright red tabby with white paws, tail tip and a single spot on his chest.

"They're both healthy little toms." Reedwhisper stood up and padded over to the apprentices, gathering the scraps of herbs up. "We'd better leave the family to bond."

* * *

The twilight was oddly silent as blue skies faded to violet. The crickets had died off and other bugs were soon to join them as Leaf-fall dragged on. The apprentices sat in their usual huddle, eating their last meal for the day as exhaustion tugged at their bones. Dewpaw stared out at the crowd circled around Volepelt's body, her face peaceful but empty of life.

"So despite just giving birth, Rowanwing is joining them, huh?" Weaselpaw wondered, his breath clouding in the cold air. Indeed the ginger queen was cuddled up to her mother's body, her newborn sons were being looked after by Cloudsky whose milk was still running thankfully.

"I think it's irresponsible of her," Squirrelpaw chipped in, "But I understand it- I guess?" She shook her head and returned to gnawing on a squirrel.

"She's probably feeling pretty conflicted right now..." Specklepaw murmured, ears twitching. "A death and a birth in the same day..."

"Fallowstripe says that was common in the old days." Starlingpaw mewed, raising her bloodied muzzle. "You can't dwell on death for too long or you'll just get distracted from life."

"Mother says a lot of stuff- _ack!_ " Squirrelpaw groaned before suddenly spluttering as she almost choked on a bone. "S-she's always be- _cough!_ -en strict like that...!"

 _'That's what you get for laying down and eating, you lazy lump.'_ Dewpaw thought with a playful snort. "Maybe it's because of what happened to your father." He put in, a sly tone to his voice.

"She says our dad was a rogue who helped out durin' the war." Weaselpaw drawled. "That or a kittypet. Who knows? Who cares? All I know is that _we're_ warriors and that's all that counts!"

"Leave it to Weaselpaw to say that." Sunpaw mused, sharing a look with Starlingpaw.

As the apprentices continued to chatter and gossip, Dewpaw gazed up at the sky. The first stars of Silverpelt were beginning to show as the world continued to darken. _'I wonder which one is Volepelt?'_ He thought. Suddenly, underneath the expansive light of the night, he felt very small. The world was a lot bigger than Birchclan's territory, or the whole forest really! There was the mountain, the farm and the Twolegplace. _'Where we came from...'_

More stars flickered to life and on in particular caught his eye. One that flickered erratically near a small cluster of other lights. _'I bet that's her.'_ He felt a smile grace his expression. _'Among others but always acting out.'_ He turned his head to survey the entirety of Silverpelt until it faded into the strange brightness of the sky above the Twolegplace. _'Do kittypets have a Starclan? Where do they go when they die?'_

 _'Are my parents there?'_

* * *

 **[Author's Note]**

Well wasn't this a bundle of action.

Sorry if the updating is going to be a bit slower from now on. I've been busy with real life stuff and I've been having computer issues (mainly my charger breaking constantly but it's whatever).

Also if you notice that some of the dens are being described differently to previous chapters, it's because I'm retconning it slightly. Just changing a few things with how the environment is described and such, nothing huge.


	9. NOTE: About the future of Conjoined

So... I'm alive. Vaguely.

I'll spare you the paragraph about life being complicated, but basically I've been sick and busy with life in general. I really should have checked in earlier, but honestly I've just forgotten.

So, what's going on with Always Together? Is it coming back? Am I continuing it?

Yes... In a way.

I'll be rewriting the whole book.

Now, let me explain! Upon rereading it, it's grown painfully obvious to me that it's a little... mediocre and poorly planned. That's due to the fact that I never actually planned it. I started this series as a hobby, a way to let my creativity go, so I just wrote whatever came to mind.

However, I've grown attached to the characters and I want to finish it. For both your sake and mine, so I will!

I'm probably going to discontinue _this_ version of the book and post the rewritten version in it's own separate bit. I also plan to post it on my deviantART as well as art for the characters. So if you have a dA you can follow it along there.


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